The New 40

“Young writers” and “30 under 30” lists abound in every field. But we at Lilith know it’s never too late to nurture talent, especially among women who are busy with “species work”—caretaking, life-building.

They may turn to creative pursuits later. So in that spirit we created an opportunity: The New 40.

We selected a cohort who are mostly new to writing creatively for publication to participate in a one-year program providing opportunities for mentoring, learning, peer support, and publication. This project was designed with the paired goals of combating ageism and highlighting the rich stories these emerging writers have to offer. What follows is the final selection of work from our 2022 cohort. But stay tuned; a second cohort is now meeting, with their work to grace Lilith in coming months.

This project was made possible with the generous support of The Brandt Jackson Foundation.