In partnership with Lena Dunham and Random House, Girls Write Now invited our community to write their way to wellness through an initiative combining a writing contest with a philanthropic fund supporting the creativity and wellness of the next generation.
Hundreds of submissions flooded in from our writers ages 14-24, with the pieces judged by authors Sinéad Burke, Hunter Harris, and Jane Pratt, along with the Girls Write Now’s editorial committee.
We are proud to share the contest winners in Read Me Closely: The Famesick Story Collection with Girls Write Now mentee Ariel Zhang’s poem, “someday i’ll love,” as the grand prize winner. Ariel’s work will be published on Lena’s Substack as well as Girls Write Now Media. Congratulations, Ariel! Stay tuned for an announcement about the honorable mentions!
This writing contest is fueled by The Lena Dunham Fund for Girls Write Now, investing in authors learning the craft of telling the truth about their lives at a moment when more young people than ever are reckoning publicly with mental health, performance, and the cost of being seen. The fund is generously seeded by Lena and amplified by a community of donors who believe young writers deserve the mentorship, platforms, and support to claim their voices. Contributions fund the the Collaboratory, Girls Write Now’s central home where multi-generational writers connect, create, and build community.
Ariel Zhang is a poet from California. As a California Arts Scholar, Ariel has been recognized by The ruth weiss Foundation, YoungArts, and Chapter510. Her work can be found in magazines such as The Louisville Review and Frontier Poetry, and also in the form of street art and story dispensers at community train stations. Ariel is fond of sunsets and warm bagels.
Girls Write Now is doing the essential, joyful work of nurturing the next generation of writers, and of giving them not just the tools, but the permission, to tell the truth about their lives. This organization means so much to me, both personally and creatively.
— Lena Dunham, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Famesick
Congratulations!!!!!!