Plus, book recommendations & a writing contest for pride month
June 23-29
Hope Lives In Our Words
Seeking Hope? Look to The Creators.
In increasingly dangerous, troubled times, we lean on one another, because in community, we are stronger than any one of us alone. Together, we show that hope, like art, is a practice best cultivated in and through the company of others. Hope can also be the spark for change. We invite you to visit Girls Write Now's Wall of Hope: to contribute your own words and to take comfort in others'.
Featured Media
A Flighty Peace
By Filomena Baker
The leader of an ancient tribe, tired of her war-ridden world, ignores the battle looming behind her. But the death of her lover forces her to commit one final flight for peace.
Celebrating Pride Month
WRITING CONTEST
Writing for Life Essay Contest
Honoring Maya Logan Eileraas &
LGBTQ+ Youth
Girls Write Now proudly joins forces with Chasing Spirits to present the inaugural "Writing for Life" Writing Prize. This award honors the free, rebellious spirit of 14 year old Maya Logan Eileraas, who used the pandemic to write their novel and fought for writing as a lifeline while in foster care and mental healthcare facilities. The contest is open to girls, gender expansive youth, and LGBTQ+ youth across the United States. One winner in each age category (13-15 and 16-19) will receive $1,500 and publication.
ENGAGEMENT EVENT
Community Conversation: Did June Fill You With Pride?
Join us On July 23rd to Reflect on Where We've Been and Where We're Going
Though Pride Month may be ending soon, Girls Write Now remains committed to supporting and empowering our LGBTQIA+ community members. In the face of repression and constant uncertainty, including the Supreme Court's ruling in United States v. Skrmetti, it’s important that we process all that is going through our minds. Join us for a rich conversation on where we are and what we can do to get to where we’re going.
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
What We're Reading for Pride Month
For Your To-Be-Read List
We asked Girls Write Now mentors, mentees, and staff members to share some of their favorite books featuring LGBTQ+ topics and narratives. The result is a beautiful list representing the many shades of gender and sexuality present in our community and beyond. From sapphic romances to poetry about queer bodies, there's something for every kind of reader in our list.
The Creative Process
READ WITH US
My Unexpected Life
By Martina Clark,
Girls Write Now Mentor
At age 28, Martina Clark was told she had HIV and five years to live. With a sense nothing to lose, she dove into activism and, unexpectedly, fell into an international career starting as the first openly HIV-positive person to work for UNAIDS. A mix of personal memoir, travel, humor and an up-close look at the squishy underbelly of the United Nations, My Unexpected Life follows her personal journey—emotional and physical—interwoven with her professional path. Listen to Martina dive into the process of writing her book in the first-ever episode of the popular Girls Write Now podcast, Speaking in First Draft.
WRITE WITH US
Sounds of Summer:
Prompt + Playlist
Curated by Sally Familia,
Girls Write Now Staff
Movement and music are one. When have you felt most in flow with yourself and your environment?
Take time for healing through music. Spark creativity this summer with a prompt and accompanying playlist curated by our very own, Sally Familia.
Want to curate a prompt and playlist for Girls Write Now's Summer Sounds? Reach out to us at communications@girlswritenow.org.
Happening Write Now
COLLABORATORY ORIENTATION
Mentee & Mentor Orientation – Summer 2025
Thursday, June 26, 7-8:30 PM ET, Virtual
Welcome to the Summer Cycle at Girls Write Now! Join us for the Mentee & Mentor Orientation—your official introduction to the Girls Write Now Collaboratory and the first step toward a successful and creative cycle together.
This orientation session is required for all new mentees and new mentors. Returning mentees and mentors are warmly welcome to attend.
Note that every mentor and mentee will attend their specific Journey orientation—and new participants are required to attend this orientation as well.
Required for new mentees and mentors,
Open to all Summer Journey mentees and mentors
COLLABORATORY SHOWCASE
Let Me Finish! The Power of Punchlines
Mentee Standup Delivered Comedy that Counts
This month our mentees showcased the comedic skills they honed in Girls Write Now's Spring Journey, Power of Punchlines: Standup Comedy for Change. Teaching artist and comedian Hollie Harper opened the event, and was joined by her friends in the comedy scene: Alexis Bradby, Marcela Onyango, and Yanjaa Westgate. Mentees Inica Kotasthane and Camilla Spillman brought down the house with their routines, which covered everything from public transportation to the nuances of queer relationships.
L to R: an attendee, comedian Yanjaa Westgate, teaching artist and comedian Hollie Harper, mentee performer Camilla Spillman, mentee performer Inica Kotasthane, comedian Marcela Onyango, comedian Alexis Bradby, and Girls Write Now Community Coordinator Ayana Perkins
Read on for even more incredible opportunities—
and thank you for your support!
Get the Gig
FELLOWSHIPS
The Center for Black Literature
The Wild Seeds Retreat
The Wild Seeds Retreat provides writers of color with an opportunity to meet other writers; to workshop their writing among peers; and to engage with published writers about concerns and issues related to writing and publishing. Through its writing workshops leaders, the Retreat provides the public with an opportunity to become knowledgeable about the range and diversity of the work produced by writers of color.
CAREERS
Macmillan
Publicist, Celadon Job
Celadon Books is seeking a Publicist or Senior Publicist (title commensurate with experience) to join their dynamic, collaborative team. This role is ideal for a strategic, resourceful self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has demonstrated success executing impactful publicity campaigns across both fiction and nonfiction. The ideal candidate will bring proven media relationships, and the ability to work independently while collaborating across departments. A track record of crafting compelling pitches, managing multi-stop author tours, and problem-solving in real time is essential.
WRITING CONTESTS
Short Story Substack
Short Story Contest
Each month, the Substack newsletter Short Story publishes one author's story. The chosen writer receives $100 as base pay and 50% of subscription revenue. Stories must be between 6 and 10,000 words, and reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute. Submit stories by the end of June. The winner will be announced on July 15th.
