The 20 remarkable teen writers below have been selected as GrubStreet’s 2024 Teen Writing Fellows! With their dazzling play on language and dedication to literary citizenship, this cohort of teen writers demonstrates the power of stories to embolden us to welcome authenticity, growth, and each other.
This year’s Teen Writing Fellows were selected from an impressive pool of nearly 100 applicants in a blind judging process by 6 panelists. The 20 Fellows will be supported as working writers in a three-week intensive program where they will gain the skills, pathways, and relationships to bring their voices into the world.
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From left to right: Cecilia Elena Benitez, Joey Frances McPherson, Saisha Lori Beauvil, and Vanya Singh.
Cecilia Elena Benitez: Hi! My name is Cecilia Benitez and I am a rising ninth grader in Brookline! I have always enjoyed writing, and am currently writing a book about the aftermath of World War II and how one girl is dealing with family trauma and the issues in the world. I'm excited to attend this writing fellowship to better my writing skills and my understanding of how I can incorporate myself and the world into my stories.
Joey Frances McPherson: I’m Joey, a 14 year old writer who enjoys writing gothic horror, realistic fiction, and thrillers. I’m extremely excited to expand my writing by reaching out of my comfort zone to new genres, styles, and more. I’m ready to be surrounded in a community who shares my same interests, and I can’t wait to learn as much as possible.
Saisha Lori Beauvil: Hi my name is Saisha, I like to write poetry, specifically free writing. I think poetry doesn’t always have to be in riddles but should be easy to understand. In my writing career I hope to write books that will heal communities of people and give people a sense of belonging.
Vanya Singh: Hi, I’m Vanya and I am an incoming freshman in high school! I love writing non-fiction articles about any topic or theme that interests me. I have a blog called Brainy Bionics and always look for ways to share my writing. I can’t wait to meet and collaborate with other student writers so I can learn from their different perspectives! Apart from writing, I enjoy strumming the guitar or biking to nearby locations.
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From left to right: Veronika Wang, Amalia Francis Mesleh, and Angelina Yu.
Veronika Wang: Hi, I'm Veronika Wang, an aspiring writer with a passion for crafting stories that transport readers to new worlds. I love exploring themes of friendship, adventure, and self-discovery in my writing. I'm excited to join the Fellowship to hone my skills, meet other young writers, and learn more about the craft of storytelling. Fun fact: Poems are my favorite style of writing!
Amalia Francis Mesleh: I have always been enamored by my imagination and its ability to bring about new emotions inside of me, which feeds my ventures into poetry and magical realism. My motivation to participate in this summer’s Grub Street fellowship is to widen my repertoire of literary abilities and to form new connections in the process! Someday, I want nothing more than to pursue a career in creative writing to explore my fascination with characters and their experiences, and to become a therapist to do the same with people.
Angelina Yu: Angelina's favorite genre is science fiction, so she loves spending her free time brainstorming dystopian ideas and writing short stories. She's excited to meet fellow writers and she's looking forward to learning techniques in new genres, especially poetry and screenwriting.
Arya Zobar Kheder: N/A
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From left to right: Melissa Ng, Saraswati Raghavan, Eda Ozpinar Galvez, and Margaret Chen Fulop.
Melissa Ng: My name is Melissa Ng and I'm a 15 year old from Lexington, MA. I generally write memoirs and all kinds of prose, and I'm excited to explore other genres as well. I look forward to meeting all the other writers at Grubstreet this summer!
Saraswati Raghavan: Hello! My name is Saras, and I'm a rising sophomore from Belmont, Massachusetts. Writing is a big part of how I express myself, along with music and art. I enjoy writing poetry and short stories, oftentimes centered around modern politics or mental health. I'm hoping that through this fellowship I'll be able to further develop my writing skills, and I'm looking forward to meeting and connecting with other teen writers!
Eda Ozpinar Galvez: Hi, I'm Eda! That's pronounced the same way as in edamame. Growing up in two households, I've always loved to read and write about small moments, the human connection and my observations of the world. I hope to meet like-minded lovers of written word in this fellowship.
Margaret Chen Fulop: Hi! My name is Maggie. I'm 16 years old and I'm from Lexington. My favorite genres to write are realistic fiction and creative nonfiction, and my favorite books are The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I don't read a ton of poetry but I do enjoy Sylvia Plath. When I'm not writing, I enjoy playing violin, doomscrolling the SSENSE sale section, and sitting in pretty coffee shops. This summer, I'm so excited to meet other teens who love writing as much as I do!
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From left to right: May Zheng, Mia Elizabeth Chu, and Norah Esmé Wilson.
May Zheng: May Zheng is an incoming junior who is constantly wavering between boarding school in Concord and home in Waltham. She writes too much poetry and too many songs, occasionally dabbling in short stories and memoirs, too. She is super excited to be part of YAWP and to meet the other fellows! May is especially passionate about Sichuan cuisine and creating Spotify playlists.
Mia Elizabeth Chu: I love writing poetry and short fantasy/sci-fi stories. Most of my pieces reference myths, flower languages, or other literary works. I’m really looking forward to exploring new genres, meeting other teens who are passionate about writing, and learning lots from everyone at the Fellowship.
Norah Esmé Wilson: Hi, I'm Norah! I've been crafting stories since before I could write and for the past two years I’ve been doing anything and everything spoken word poetry. I'm passionate about using the stage to share my thoughts with the world. I'm really looking forward to my time as a 2024 teen fellow. I can’t wait to learn new skills, experiment with different genres and build valuable connections with the people around me!
Toby Ramiz: Hello! I frequently write poetry, short stories, and I'm part of my school's Poetry Club! In fact, I used to memorize short poems in Russian and recite them to family!
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From left to right: Amelie Sophia Gonzalez Zosa and Macie Sarai Smith.
Amelie Sophia Gonzalez Zosa: Hi, I'm Amelie! I'm so excited to join the GrubStreet team and to step outside of my comfort zone by trying all different genres of writing! So far in my writing career, I've mainly focused on short stories, personal essays, and journalism, but I would love to explore screenwriting as well. See you this summer!
Brandon J Fu: N/A
Macie Sarai Smith: Hi, my name is Macie Smith! I love to write poetry and any fiction in the genre of mystery. I am looking forward to the community of aspiring writers that Grub Street has brought together, as well as developing my skills as a writer. In my free time, I can be found reading, listening to music, or playing rugby!
Yvana Njieptchi: N/A