• Journey
  • Thousand Voices Book Club (Spring 2026)

Spring 2026

Thousand Voices Book Club

In partnership with the Thousand Voices imprint, this Journey invites mentors and mentees to explore contemporary literature. Participants will close-read three books and discuss them at monthly Journey Meetings. 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!

Pre-Enroll Now

Thousand Voices Book Club Community Experiences

Participants are required to attend one Journey Live Meetings each month throughout the cycle. Additionally, you can schedule 1:1 office hours with the Journey Instructor for individual assistance as needed.

Spring Cycle Journey Meetings:

  • Saturday, March 28, 2026, 12-1:30 pm ET
  • Saturday, April 25, 2026, 12-1:30 pm ET
  • Saturday, May 23, 2026, 12-1:30 pm ET

If you’re unable to attend a Journey meeting, you must notify your Staff Lead in advance and attend a community event to make up for it—strongly recommended options for this journey include Leadership Community Studios, Community Conversations, and Career Chats.

Journey Circle: Community

Thousand Voices Book Club Courses

Thousand Voices Book Club
This course is designed to help develop critical thinking skills, engage with literary criticism, and form a reading practice. Specific topics range from active reading to review writing to connecting stories to current events.

Writing

Thousand Voices Book Club Mentoring

Mentors and mentees in the Thousand Voices Book Club Journey will be matched for a minimum of one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two hour-long sessions each month. This journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.

Journey Teaching Artist

Annaya Baynes

Girls Write Now Staff

Annaya Baynes (she/they) is a Community Coordinator. They graduated from Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and French. As an undergraduate, she worked on Spelman’s social justice podcast, The Blue Record, and the reproductive justice-oriented podcast Black Feminist Rants. Annaya has interned at various publishing houses, including Penguin Random House, Macmillan, and The Feminist Press. They have a deep love for literature and film. She is a Master’s student at NYU’s Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies.

Visit Profile
Book Club

What Past Participants Have to Say

“I really enjoyed being able to read some great books and watch some cool performances.”
Placeholder Image
Alejandre Lamas-Nemec Mentee
“[I] learn[ed] new things about myself through being in community with others who love words and language – I knew I would love being a mentor, as I have been one in other capacities, but the specific literary emphasis surprised me in how connected it made me feel with others.”
Placeholder Image
Lisa Borten Mentor
“I think seeing the Literature for Life presentations in person was the best. I was able to see incredible performers bridge both theater and literature in beautiful adaptations that I was lucky enough to see in person. I was also able to talk to some of the adults in the audience and have meaningful conversations with some mentors and guests from the public. Many of the people I talked to were much older than me yet we were able to have meaningful and enjoyable conversations. I probably would never have seen the performances or connected with the people I did if I stayed at home so I’m really happy that I went in to the office for those experiences. Girls Write Now impacted my personal growth by teaching me the skill of editing my work. My mentor encouraged me to look for edits that I could make, and even discuss or question her edits to my essay. I feel confident in my editing which is a skill that I never had before as a writer, and I’m excited to keep working. ”
Placeholder Image
Sofia Elena Salyer Mentee

Read 360

All Journeys within this Adventure focus on close readings of books and creative works in community with other writers. Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.

Thousand Voices Book Club is a Journey in the Read 360 Adventure.

See All Adventures

Explore All Journeys

Explore All Journeys

Teach GWN (Fall 2025)

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. Participants will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and Mentors can facilitate a community studio either solo (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.

event image

The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Fall 2025-Spring 2026)

In this two-Cycle Journey, participants will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, you’ll learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Comedy is a form of intelligence—whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.

The-Power-of-Punchlines

The Lead Incubator (Fall 2025-Spring 2025)

The Lead Incubator is a crucial extension of the Lead Community Change Journey, offering Mentees the space, resources, and support needed to implement their project plans and drive meaningful change in their communities. It acts as a dynamic platform where they can turn their ideas into action. Mentees participating in the Lead Incubator focus on advancing their community-based social activism projects with the support of their mentors and Girls Write Now’s resources.

Explore Tour (Fall 2025)

Explore the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now offers through a multimedia, multi-genre experience with mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Build new skills and deepen existing ones across fiction, journalism, publishing, and formats like video, podcasting, and visual storytelling. Ideal for mentees working across media or focused on specific projects, this Journey offers the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your goals.

Explore Tour, photos of two girls smiling, GWN logo

Bridging Queer Voices: Storytelling Across Generations (Spring 2027)

This Journey explores the rich tradition of storytelling between generations, highlighting how stories connect past, present, and future. Participants will engage with personal and cultural narratives shared across age groups, learning to honor diverse perspectives. Through writing and creative expression, you’ll develop skills to preserve and share meaningful stories that build understanding and community.

1 … 4 5 6 7 8 9