This section is coming soon! For now, get a sneak peek at some writing prompts and exercises from this year’s Community Chat Teaching Artists and Friday Night Salon Hosts.
Write a note to yourself from a future where racism no longer exists.
— Race is a Story: Writing for Social Change with Uju Asika
Uju Asika
Uju Asika is a multi-award nominated blogger, screenwriter and creative consultant. She is the author of Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World, published by Yellow Kite (Hachette) in September 2020 and by Sourcebooks USA in May 2021. Featured in Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, BBC Good Morning Sunday and BBC Woman’s Hour among numerous outlets. The book earned starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and BookPage and the Evening Standard named Bringing Up Race one of the Best Books of September 2020 calling it ‘timely and important’. A former journalist, Uju’s writing has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, salon.com, Time Out and the Daily Times Nigeria. She is the founder of the Top 10 UK Mum Blog and Top 10 London Lifestyle blog Babes About Town and a former screenwriter/script editor for some of Africa’s top TV dramas including the multi award-winning Tinsel. Born in Nigeria, Uju grew up in the UK and has lived and worked in London, New York and Lagos. She is based in north London with her husband Abiye and their teenage sons. Follow Uju at babesabouttown.com and @babesabouttown across social media.
Describe a space or community that you feel fully welcomed in. What parts of you are nurtured, cared for or affirmed? Who is in the space with you? What about them makes you feel welcomed or at ease?
— Individual & Collective Power: Diversity and Equity with Brittany Barker
Brittany Barker
Brittany Barker is an educator, poet and the creative director of Creative Soul House. She’s served in education for 8 years, as a humanities instructor, curriculum designer and a Dean of Programs where she spearheaded schoolwide youth and adult-development initiatives for enrichment and socio-emotional learning. Brittany has been recognized by the Walton Foundation for her leadership in transformative arts education and currently curates holistic and social-justice experiences for schools and organizations in local NY communities.
If you had a magic wand, in what BIG or small ways would you change the world?
— Values, Beliefs & Aspirations: Writing Our Personal Manifestos with Sheena Daree Miller
Sheena Daree Miller
Sheena Daree Miller (she/they) is a writer based between Brooklyn and South Florida. Her writing has been published, or is forthcoming, in Ms. Magazine, The Rumpus, Zone 3 Press, Split Lip Magazine, Autostraddle, Taco Bell Quarterly and elsewhere. Their writing has graciously been supported by The Seventh Wave, Aspen Words, Columbia Journalism School, and St. Nell’s Humor Writing Residency for Ladies. Sheena was a 2021 Margolis Award finalist and the recipient of the Dave Family Humor Studies Award. In her faculty development role at The New School, she facilitates workshops and develops resources to support both new and returning instructors in teaching for equity and inclusion. She is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor for Girls Write Now.
In the Girls Write Now Community, You’ll Have Access to…
PUBLICATION & PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Amplifying voices is the heart of our mission, so every community member has an Author Page on our site! Mentees will also have opportunities to show off their best work in our annual anthology and performance series.
Exciting events with STAR-POWERED SPEAKERS
We bring in expert storytellers and media makers as teaching artists and make space for mentees to chat with mega-mentors like Shonda Rhimes, Roxane Gay, Allison Davis and more celebrated champions of our mission.
Creative & College/Career RESOURCES
In our digital Community Hub, you’ll get access to a library of writing prompts, editing tips and more! We also share numerous scholarship, internship and job opportunities from our vast network across industries.
Girls Write Now
For 25 years, Girls Write Now has been breaking down barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor the next generation of writers and leaders who are impacting businesses, shaping culture and creating change. Thank you for joining our movement.