Summer 2025
Book Club: Summer Read
Book lovers, unite! Each cycle, we’ll do a close read of three new books and discuss them at monthly fixed meetings. Based on enthusiastic community input, the books selected for this summer are all from our longtime partner Penguin Random House: -Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart; -Safia Elhillo’s Home Is Not a Country; and -Sulieka Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy For all three books, we’ll focus in particular on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.
Girls Write Now Collaboratory
This Journey is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Spring 2027 Journey Now!
Requirements
- Read the assigned books.
- Attend the monthly Journey meetings.
- Review of one book read during the cycle (800-1500 words) or submit to Writing for Life Essay Contest
Book Club: Summer Read Course
Each cycle, we’ll close read 3 books and discuss them at monthly fixed meetings. We’ll focus, in particular, on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.
Book Club: Summer Read Mentoring
Mentors and mentees in the Book Club Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two sessions each month. Each session should be at least one hour long.
Book Club: Summer Read Community Experiences
Mentors and mentees in the Book Club Journey must attend at least one Community Experience per month. They are expected to attend Book Club meetings to discuss the books. It is strongly recommended that they attend Exploratory Community Studios, College & Career Chats, and Salon Experiences.
What Past Participants Have to Say
Read 360 Adventure
The Book Club: Summer Read Journey is a part of the Read 360 Adventure.
Journeys in the Read 360 Adventure focus on close readings of books and creative works in community with other writers. Think of it as a Girls Write Now book club!
Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Explore Tour (Fall 2026)
Explore all of the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now has to offer through a multimedia, multi-genre experience that includes mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-to-one pair sessions.
Teach GWN (Fall 2026)
In this Journey, members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a community studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure.
The Career Journey: Inside Book Publishing (Fall 2026)
This Journey is for mentors curious about breaking into publishing, mentors already in the industry who want to pass on what they know, and mentees serious about building a career in books. Together you'll map the roles across publishing houses and literary agencies and get into the nuts and bolts of what each one actually does.
Explore Tour (Spring 2027)
Explore Girls Write Now’s creative and storytelling pathways through a multimedia, multi-genre experience featuring mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-to-one pair sessions. Develop skills across fiction, journalism, publishing, video, podcasting, visual storytelling, and more.
Independent Study (Spring 2027)
Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Mentees and mentors meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to support creative projects and personal goals. Along the way, you can connect with others during a mid-cycle mixer designed to spark inspiration, share ideas, and build community. The Journey culminates in a showcase where participants present the work they have developed throughout the cycle and celebrate their accomplishments together. Mentees and mentors will benefit by gaining greater independence in their learning, deepening their creative practice, and building meaningful connections while pursuing self-directed goals.
Teach GWN (Spring 2027)
In this Journey, members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a Community Studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure. Each cycle involves facilitating three Community Studios, one per month. Mentees and mentors will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and mentors can facilitate a Community Studio either independently (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.
Screenwriting: Crafting Short Film Stories (Spring 2027)
This two-cycle Journey guides participants from crafting a short film script to bringing it to life on screen. In the first cycle, mentors and mentees focus on developing compelling stories, dynamic characters, and engaging dialogue, learning the essentials of screenwriting for short films. In the second cycle, participants move from script to screen, exploring the practical aspects of video production, including planning, collaboration, and bringing their creative vision to life. By the end of the journey, mentees will have both a polished script and hands-on experience in producing their own short film.
Life Lines: Crafting Memoir (Part 1) (Spring 2027)
In this three-cycle Journey, writers will get the support and expert industry insight they need to write their memoir. In the first three-month cycle, participants will outline, structure their book, and begin their first drafts; in the second three-month cycle, participants will write and workshop their drafts; and in the third cycle, participants will finish their drafts and write their book proposals.
Lead Community Change (Part 2) (Spring 2027)
Lead Community Change is a dynamic two-cycle Journey that harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to drive social impact. Aspiring young leaders and activists will unleash their creativity to develop and implement innovative community-based social activism projects, supported by GWN’s rich storytelling resources.
Speak Your Truth: Spoken Word Poetry (Spring 2027)
Explore the power of spoken word poetry as a form of storytelling, self-expression, and social commentary.