New Book Launches to Rave Reviews

“As we celebrate 20 years, I’m so proud of the powerful stories from our young writers showcased in this inspiring anthology.” —Maya Nussbaum, Founder & Executive Director

Girls Write Now: Two Decades of True Stories from Young Female Voices (Tin House, October 2018)

“A feat of literary awesomeness and a slice of inspirational magic” — Bust

“8 Things to Do with Your Kids in NYC” —New York Times

“Required Reading” —New York Post

“A candid compilation…[of] resilience, hope, and the power of writing” — Publisher’s Weekly
“A celebration of young female writers…great addition to classroom shelves” — Kirkus

“Important…beautiful…” —Teen Vogue

“Inspiring and informative…belongs in every school, library and home” —Book Riot

Also featured in Booklist (Starred Review), Women’s Review of Books (glowing piece by Ana Castillo), Bustle (feature written by mentee alum Fanta Camara), The Millions (“Best Books of October”), Volume 1 Brooklyn (“Best Books of October”), Girl w/ Pen, Seventeen, Newsday, Lit Hub, Latinas Magazine, School Library Journal, Afterschool Today, Teachers & Writers Magazine, and more...

LAUNCH AT EMMA STRAUB’S BOOKS ARE MAGIC

It was a magical October evening at Books Are Magic, as we launched our new book Girls Write Now: Two Decades of True Stories from Young Female Voices (Tin House) and enjoyed a reading and talk with authors and mentee alums Fanta Camara, Danni Green, Marcela Grillo, and Romaissaa Benzizoune. The event was hosted by bestselling author and Girls Write Now mentor alum Emma Straub, the founder of Books are Magic.

The collection includes wise words from Zadie Smith, Roxane Gay, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Gloria Steinem, and Janet Mock.

Excerpt from Roxane Gay

“Everyone has a voice. It’s just a question of just finding the courage to use it, and the first step in finding the courage is knowing that no matter who you are or how quiet you think your voice is, your voice matters. You’re never going to please everyone with what you say, but you don’t have to worry about that. You have to only satisfy yourself to start with, and I think, with that kind of acceptance, you can begin to use your voice. Regardless of any insecurities you feel, you have to have an innate confidence in yourself and your voice, because if you don’t believe in your voice then no one else is going to listen.”
—Roxane Gay

A sample of story titles from the book

Dear Kanye, by Danni Green

Hajabi or Jihadi, by Romaissaa Benzizoune
Model Minority Girl, by Maggie Wang
Inspiration from My Mother, Fanta Camara