ANTHOLOGIES
Girls Write Now Unmuted: The 2021 Anthology
Girls Write Now is thrilled to be in partnership again this year with Dutton, who produced this anthology. A special thanks to the team at Dutton—Christine Ball,Maya Ziv, and Lexy Cassola, and to Feminist Press and Jamia Wilson, who produced the ebook. Thank you as well to Amazon Literary Partnership for their continued support, which directly funds the production of our anthologies.

In the 2021 Girls Write Now Anthology, our mentees give voice to fear and silence, demand justice, and hold nothing back. To be unmuted right now requires a new brand of bravery, and these writers show how it’s done. Using stories, poems, essays, fiction, drama, interviews and more, they report on a global pandemic, a climate crisis and the movement for racial equality. They also invite us on their personal journeys through the labyrinth of young adulthood: feeling the rich soil of a neighborhood garden beneath their fingers; traveling through time in search of their parents; inhaling the charged air where young love is brewing. In a world pushed to the precipice of change, in a society that values the tried and true over the dynamic and new, the Girls Write Now class of 2021 is breaking the chains and showing what it means to speak loud, clear and true—to be unmuted.
Foreword by
Introduction by
Read What's Inside
Browse our collection of stories from inside the book. Complete with notes from the author and anecdotes from our mentees and mentors.
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Memory
A young girl’s father attempts to help her remember her mother's voice.
‘How Did I Get Here?’ – Episode 1: Lucy King
"How Did I Get Here?" is a podcast about the different stories of women in media and their career journeys. This episode highlights Lucy King, an Emmy award-winning documentary producer who started out in neuroscience.
My Younger Brother
A sister finds her world upside down following an irreplaceable loss. How will she change?
Respite? More like ReSPITE!
Have you ever chosen to sacrifice sleep to binge-watch something on Netflix? You might be experiencing “revenge bedtime procrastination.”
Asked and Unanswered
This is a collaborative memoir of our relationships with our maternal grandmothers, who we lost in the spring of 10th grade. Our relationships mirror each other’s in many ways, especially as daughters of immigrant parents.
The Butterfly Effect
This memoir is about a seemingly small experience that transformed the way I see dance, as well as the world.
music makers
This poem is about society's shared desire for escape and comfort in a mundane yet chaotic world.
Colombia: The Place Where I Can Always Return.
This was originally a school assignment that was meant to be a college essay. I decided to scrap it and turn it into a different piece. It is inspired by the mountains in Colombia.
Mahiha, an Excerpt
Mahiha is a girl who is transitioning from high school to college life. She experiences being in love and feeling sad because of fake friends.
Dear Friend
Who are you trying to be behind the mask you see?
Praise for Here & Now
From the Literary Community
Intersectional Voices in Editorial Print Committee
Every year, the Intersectional Voices in Editorial (IV Edit) Print Committee brings their talents to the task of editing, producing, and promoting this fresh collection of writing from today’s emerging voices. The committee is made up of mentors, mentees, and other volunteers who are passionate about diversifying the publishing landscape.