ANTHOLOGIES

On the Other Side of Everything: Girls Write Now 2023 Anthology

In partnership with Dutton Books, Amazon Literary Partnership, and Feminist Press, Girls Write Now is thrilled to announce our newest publication, Girls Write Now On the Other Side of Everything: 2023 Anthology. Set for release on Tuesday, May 23rd, the anthology is a multi-genre showcase of the best writing from today’s next-gen voices and leaders.

Do you know what it’s like to communicate with your family across a salty ocean’s divide? Do you want the sun and moon to enter your home with stories written in embers? Do you seek voices that will shatter expectations? Welcome to the other side of everything. It’s the other side of silence, the other side of childhood, the other side of hate, the other side of indifference, it’s the other side of sides, where the binary breaks down. It’s a new paradigm, a destination, a different perspective, a mindset, a state of openness, the space between the endless folds in your forehead, hopes for tomorrow, and reflections on the past. This anthology of diverse voices is an everything bagel of literary genres and love songs, secrets whispered in the dark of night, conversations held with ancestors under the sea. 

Support Young Writers

Get a copy of the Girls Write Now 2023 Anthology: “On The Other Side of Everything” to support our mission to champion writers to break down the barriers of gender, age, race, and poverty to mentor, teach, and connect writers and leaders across disciplines and around the nation. With a focus on those historically disempowered due to their gender and gender identity, we harness the power of stories to shape culture, impact industries, and bridge worlds.
Reading from the 2024 Anthology Launch Party

Foreword by

Chrissy King

(she/her) Honoree

Chrissy King is a writer, speaker, strength coach, and educator with a passion for creating a diverse and inclusive wellness industry. She empowers individuals to stop shrinking, start taking up space, and use their energy to create their specific magic in the world. With degrees in social justice and sociology from Marquette University, Chrissy merges her passion for social justice with her passion for fitness to empower individuals within the fitness and wellness industry to create spaces that allow individuals from all backgrounds to feel seen, welcome, respected, and celebrated. Pre-order Chrissy’s debut book, The Body Liberation Project, here.

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Photo Credit: Tiny Reparations

Epigraph by

Amanda Gorman

Honoree

Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied Sociology. She has written for the New York Times and has three books forthcoming with Penguin Random House.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began writing at only a few years of age. Now her words have won her invitations to the Obama White House and to perform for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Al Gore, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and others. Amanda has performed multiple commissioned poems for CBS This Morning and she has spoken at events and venues across the country, including the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, as well as recognition from Scholastic Inc., YoungArts, the Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards, and the Webby Awards. She has written for the New York Times newsletter The Edit and penned the manifesto for Nike’s 2020 Black History Month campaign. In 2017, Amanda Gorman was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word – a program that supports Youth Poets Laureate in more than 60 cities, regions and states nationally. She is the recipient of the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.

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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 "On the Other Side of Everything"

Stories from Inside "On the Other Side of Everything"

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Girls Write Now 2023 Anthology

Praise for "On the Other Side of Everything"

From the Literary Community

“The writing in these pages burns bright with clarity and promise, and reminds us why we must nurture the vital voices of young writers. In fostering the creativity of young women and gender nonconforming youth, Girls Write Now is doing the necessary work of making space for the stories that will save us.”
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MARISA SIEGEL Author and Mentor
“Girls Write Now reminds me daily that there is always light if only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it. ”
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AMANDA GORMAN Author and Honoree
“In a world that often encourages girls and gender expansive youth to listen rather than speak, Girls Write Now reminds us our power lies in boldly using our words and voices—as forces for change, to uplift one another, and to thoughtfully write and share the stories that matter most.”
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CRYSTAL MALDONADO Author
“Writing is a path to freedom, and Girls Write Now points young people toward this path, empowering them to create bold, imaginative, original work. This collection is a powerful chorus of their voices.”
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DEESHA PHILYAW Author

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.