Girls Write Now Media

Anthologies

Each year, Girls Write Now publishes a print anthology showcasing the work of today’s next-generation voices. These books showcase stories that surprise us and stretch our understanding of the world and ourselves. Our anthologies have received praise from Gloria Steinem, Amanda Gorman, Roxane Gay, Meg Wolitzer, Emily St. John Mandel, Janet Mock, and countless others. Says People magazine, “It’s hard not to be inspired.”


Metamorphosis: Girls Write Now 2026 Anthology

To truly understand Girls Write Now, zoom out and observe a complex, multi-dimensional organism, constantly and consciously in the making. Its contours come into focus, and each word dissolves and evolves: Girls becomes a spectrum across gender, race, age, and poverty; Write spans genres, media, and disciplines; Now stretches across three decades and counting. Resolved into its component parts—G. W. N.—its very being refracts: a nonprofit, but also an incubator of art, a developer of professions, a community that heals. Made for writing and mentoring—and, in turn, for training, curating, and fortifying coalitions of artists, educators, and leaders. Rooted in New York City, branching outward: statewide, national, even global. Dubbed the Collaboratory: intimate, versatile, cutting-edge; designed to move with AI, a volatile marketplace, and our own psyches. For Girls Write Now, Metamorphosis is not only the title and theme of this anthology—it is a state of being.

Work from Inside Our Anthologies

Explore a treasure trove of writing, prompts, and insights from a multigenerational community of authors across decades and around the nation.

Our Partners

For the last five years, our annual anthologies have been published in partnership with Dutton Books and Amazon Literary Partnership. Our ebooks have been published with Dottir and Feminist Press. We are grateful for their support in championing the young voices featured here.

Our Digital Story Collection

Our Digital Story Collection

History: What About Me?

History: What About Me? is a piece reflecting on women in history and the mark I plan to leave in history. The inspiration came from when I was speaking to my mentor, Rachel, about the legacy many women have left and how I would like to do the same, even if it was not written in a textbook. By this, I mean that history is not just the one we learn about in school. It is something we all are part of without knowing. I believe this piece represents my best work because I did something new and the result felt rewarding. I demonstrated to myself that I was capable of stepping out of my comfort zone and accomplishing great things.

The Reality of Death

For most of my life, I've seen Death as the enemy. He stole the people that I love away from me. Most importantly, my father. I never knew what Death's true intentions were until I dared to dive deeper. I realized that he wasn't just out to get me and ruin my life. Death was never in charge of calling the shots on who's next, he was just doing what he was asked to do. In the end, Death was always just a messenger who got a bad rep.

Toilet Talks Podcast

Toilet Talks is a podcast inspired by the fact that my friends and I have a range of conversations in the bathroom at school. We always hang out in the bathroom because it is the one way we can all be together and just talk. In this podcast, my friends and I talk about what it's like to go to high school in NYC. I think this podcast represents my best work in the program this year because it shows how I have explored different ways to produce my writing.

Chronicles of Care: Ep 1

Ever wonder how you can be your best possible self in a world that can be so stressful and hectic? Look no further. “Chronicles of Care” is a comprehensive, entertaining podcast filled with helpful tips for budgeting, looking good, and feeling great. Join Caroline Sydney and Tatiana Mezitis as they walk you through recipes, life hacks, and insider advice.

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We Want To Publish Your Story!

Publication in the Girls Write Now anthologies is open to actively enrolled Girls Write Now mentees. To submit, head to your Portal.

Meet Our Author Community

Meet Our Author Community

Asma Al-Masyabi

Asma Al-Masyabi is a poet, writer, and visual artist based in Colorado. She is a ruth weiss Foundation Emerging Poet Award winner and her writing can be found in The Cincinnati Review, Subnivean, the Santa Clara Review, and more. She is a University of Colorado Denver graduate with a BFA in Creative Writing and reads for Copper Nickel and F(r)iction.

Ayah Al-Masyabi

Ayah Al-Masyabi is a student journalist, artist, and writer with work published in The Colorado Sun, YR Media, The Talon at the Community College of Denver, and more. As an artist and writer, stories – especially about humans – are what get her up in the morning and motivate her to keep writing about the things that matter. Any compelling story interests her, but those surrounding culture, food, and sports are some of her favorites.

Jamilah Araf

Jamilah Araf has been writing forever and has always enjoyed story-telling. Currently, she is branching out at the newspaper club at her Queens high school and enjoys physical and digital art, coding and music. While she might not call herself an athlete, Jamilah rollerblades, ice skates and swims. In addition to being a writer, Jamilah aspires to be a lawyer or a teacher. Today, you can find her jamming out to Ed Sheeran and Onerepublic or obsessing over Hamilton, Disney and the MCU. She eats Thai food, her grandmother’s desserts and ice cream with her family and friends.

Shayla Astudillo

Shayla Astudillo was born in New York City; at a year old they moved to Illinois. In Illinois, they found their love for the arts and multiple life lessons. Coming back to New York City was difficult, but they adapted. They are currently attending high school in Manhattan, NY with their friends. They have dealt with mental illness in their life, which is a strong factor in their writing. They continue their journey with optimism. Their life goal is to spread love to everyone they meet. They hope you can connect to their writing and find your safe place to call home.

Tilda Bartlett

Tilda Bartlett is a ninth grader from Manhattan. She loves art, especially drawing and sketching. She likes realistic fiction and artsy movies. Tilda likes listening to Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift. She hopes to embark on more creative endeavors in the future whether it be film making or art.

Shermaya Paul

Shermaya Paul is a sophomore who lives in Brooklyn. She was the valedictorian of her middle school and the winner of the Congressional App Challenge. She is also an alumni of the UN Junior Ambassador program. She is a talented artist and she likes to write.

Jamilah Araf ShaylaAstudillo Tilda Bartlett Shermaya Paul