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.
Girls Write Now Unmuted Print Anthology
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Are we ‘over’ single-gender institutions?
Since we both experienced single-gender institutions as part of growing up, we're taking the time to question the continuation of these institutions and how to make them more inclusive.
The Unspoken Epidemic
We wanted to shine a light on mental health struggles that often go unnoticed and to dispel harmful stereotypes about mental illness.
15×52
Kat and Lucia are a mentor and mentee pair of short girls living in NYC. They may be little, but they’re loud in a conversation about body image and self-confidence.
Parte de Mi
This piece is a personal reflection, based on recent moments during which I have learned more about my heritage. This piece reflects an acceptance of who I am and what is a part of me.
Internet Connections
This year has been unlike any other. We wanted to share some of the ways that we've taken care of ourselves, stayed connected to each other, and found strength & purpose in community.
Little Lamb
“Little Lamb” is about giving up.
In the Morning
I start with the littlest things. The ones that take no effort. The ones that remind me that I am capable of doing the others.
passed down
Sammi and I both lost our fathers at a young age and writing this poem together has been a way for us to both process our losses and better understand ourselves.
preparatory nostalgia for someone still here
This poem encapsulates, for me at least, the painful feeling of loved ones growing old. It also conveys the struggle of watching a grandparent with Parkinson's diminish as the years go by.
Library Conversations
It's been years since the last time I saw Jack. I'd never thought that I would ever hear his voice on the radio. I guess his dream came true.
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.