ANTHOLOGIES
Taking Our Place in History: The Girls Write Now 2020 Anthology
Girls Write Now is thrilled to be in partnership with Dutton, who produced this year’s anthology. A special thanks to the team at Dutton—Christine Ball,Maya Ziv,Marya Pasciuto and Hannah Feeney, and to Feminist Press and Jamia Wilson, who produced the e-book. Thank you as well to Amazon Literary Partnership for their continued support and for recognizing Girls Write Now as a 2020 grant recipient, which directly funds the production of our anthologies.
The Girls Write Now 2020 class of mentees are using their voices for change in one of the most uncertain periods of modern history. This book invites you into their homes and families, their schools and neighborhoods, their hearts, hopes, and fears. Enter a world where clay creatures take on aluminum oppressors. Get thrown against an elevator wall in the midst of a horror story. Go backstage with a rock band, say goodbye to relatives as you start a new life, stand with an engineer solving a coding problem. Stare out from a coffin—or up at whales in the sky—and fall in love with the color of your skin. Experience tragedy in a mosque, feel the wounds of slavery, know the terror of glass shattering in a World War II village, and see how this next generation of leaders look to the past and write their present to create a better future.
Introduction by
With a Poem 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.
Taking Our Place in History: The Girls Write Now 2020 Anthology
Stories from Inside "Taking Our Place in History" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Taking Our Place in History" Coming Soon!
breath
breath By Claire Yu This poem is about the serenity and cleansing nature of standing in the rain and the
The Unknown Haze
In a fantastical dream, YouTuber Mark Ferris constructs a plan to protect himself from an unknown yet dreaded intruder.
The Fountain
“The Fountain” explores the fear of aging and being forgotten through the eyes of Lilian, a 74-year-old New Yorker who makes a surreal discovery on one of her countless boring afternoons.
Fragile Sprouts
“Fragile Sprouts” is a message encouraging young women to embrace the individuality that makes them beautiful.
First Chance at Love
The poem “First Chance at Love” exposes a young girl’s thoughts and feelings as she encounters her first crush.
Cracks in the Country
Amanda Gorman's poem at the 2021 Inauguration inspired me to write my own piece about America's values and ideals.
I Love It When…
A pandemic-era reflection on the things that bring us joy—things we may have taken for granted because we thought they would always be there. The little things seem much bigger now.
i’ll be the sun if you’ll be the moon
A piece born of a sudden Tuesday afternoon musing about self-identity and all its ridiculous, frustrating incomprehensibilities.
Seventeen
In Seventeen, I explore the ups and downs of being seventeen years old. From the pressure to be “perfect” to what I wish we had more of.
Roots
A piece about my relationship to my cultural identity that explores my feelings about being Chinese and raised in America.
Taking Our Places in History
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.