By Kelsey LePage | Development Manager
In the past few months, Girls Write Now has continued to uplift the voices of the next generation through mentorship, storytelling, and publishing. A major milestone within the last year was the publication of our 2024 anthology, Girls Write Now: Here and Now, featuring more than 120 powerful pieces written by mentees across our programs. These stories reflect a range of experiences, genres, and voices—crafted with care and elevated through intergenerational mentorship.
The anthology includes a foreword by longtime Girls Write Now mentor and award-winning author Donna Hill and an introduction by a mentor and author-illustrator of Justine. The response to this year’s book has been inspiring. Readers and literary leaders alike praised the authenticity, imagination, and emotional depth of the work. One supporter shared:
“Girls Write Now has gifted us an anthology that will compel you to listen and take action by inspiring you to remember what is truly at stake.”
Our launch event took place in our Midtown Manhattan headquarters and was paired with a Summer Showcase where mentees performed their work. The book was distributed at our annual Girls Write Now Awards and through our partner bookstores and corporate collaborators. It reached thousands of readers, helping amplify underrepresented voices across industries and communities.
What’s Next: Hope Lives in Our Words – Our 2025 Anthology
Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce the theme of our 2025 anthology: Hope Lives in Our Words. This new collection will once again spotlight original stories from our mentees, supported by their mentors. As with previous editions, we will invite a special contributor to write a 500-word foreword, which will be included in the book and recognized on the cover. This collaboration offers a meaningful way to align with our mission and distribute these stories more widely—across corporate networks, schools, and community partners.
The anthology is expected to launch in late August 2025—an ideal time to share these inspiring works during the back-to-school season. We’ll be offering bulk distribution options to companies and supporters who wish to gift the book to their teams or communities.
By the Numbers (Since Last Report)
1,000+ stories published across platforms
110,000+ story page views
60,000+ digital audience reached
2,000+ anthology copies distributed
30+ states served across the U.S.
Ages 14–94 represented in our mentor and mentee network
A Story of Impact
Shaila, a Girls Write Now mentee, has experienced firsthand the transformative power of mentorship and creative expression. Through her time in our programs, Shaila has found both her voice and her confidence as a writer and leader.
"The confidence to have a voice that GWN has instilled in me is invaluable. I genuinely wish to see the GWN programs extend to young writers on a global scale, and I hope more and more people become aware of the incredible resources and opportunities that GWN offers. Girls Write Now has impacted my life greatly, and I am hopeful to see it continue to grow and inspire others."
Shaila’s story is just one example of how Girls Write Now empowers young people to speak their truths, build lifelong skills, and imagine bold futures—made possible by the support of our community.
Thank You to Our GlobalGiving Community
To everyone who has supported Girls Write Now through GlobalGiving—thank you. Your generosity is helping to amplify the voices of young writers who are so often silenced or overlooked. Because of you, our mentees are not only finding the confidence to tell their stories, but they’re also building skills that will carry them into college, careers, and leadership roles across industries.
Your belief in our mission fuels everything we do. From publishing our annual anthology to building a national community of mentors and mentees, your support is behind every breakthrough moment, every performance, every page.
We are so grateful to be in this work with you. Thank you for standing with us—and for standing with the next generation of writers and leaders.
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