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our objectives
our mission
stimulating BIPOC teens' equity and solidarity in writing through programs centered on education, mentorship, and storytelling.
our content standards
novelminority is a proudly intersectional space, and we want our staff to reflect that.
we look for applicants who thrive on the overlap between
connection, collaboration, and community.
connection
connecting to BIPOC artists who can mentor you & get you where you need to go, and tuning into resource centers for BIPOC in your own area.
collaboration
at novelminority, you never write alone. we want you to work with others--whether on your team or in your mentorship program or in your town--to speak your truths & support your fellow creatives of color!
community
the joy of stories is that you are never alone in them. they, like writers, are in constant community-building. once you learn how to write for yourself, we want you to share that joy with others.
meet the team!
there was an idea, teen lit knows this, called the novelminority initiative. the idea was to bring together a group of of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. to see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could.
Sarina Patel
Founder of Novel Minority
Sarina Patel is a writer and political organizer from Florida. She is a 2x National Scholastic Art & Writing Medalist & a National YoungArts Winner in Writing. Her work has been featured in BrownGirlMag and recognized by The New York Times’ Learning Network. When not writing, you can find her going to the beach or hiding from Barnes & Nobles employees at closing time (they’ll never catch her).
Joseph Griffin
Social Media
Joseph Griffin is a senior in high school hoping to persigue a dual degree in Computer Science and Musical Theatre. When he isn’t practicing his spanish or dancing in his basement, he enjoys writing poetry and editing with his Adobe software.
Briana
Interview
Briana lives in Southern California and is a freshman in high school. She may or may not have a slight boba addiction. Briana most notably shares a birthday with Steve Carell, Madonna, and Angela Basset.
Melody Choi
Outreach
Melody Choi is a senior at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, California. Her work has been recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and has also appeared in The Avocet and Austin International Poetry Festival. When she’s not writing, Melody can be found practicing violin or accidentally knitting scarves unevenly.
Safiya Khan
Lit. Reading
Safiya Khan is a young person who cares deeply about youth advocacy and empowerment. She is a Government and International Politics major who has been published in Haute Hijab, MYNA, Mason Votes, Potted Purple, and other publications. Her favorite quote is “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it,” by the great Toni Morrison.
Claire Wu
Book Review
Claire Wu is a sophomore at Centennial High School in MD. She is so excited to be working with Novel Minority to foster a community of BIPOC teens passionate about writing and everything at its intersection. You can find her @claireewuu on IG and @cwu0751 on Goodreads (she loves new friends)!
Sahithi Doddaka
Book Review
Sahithi Doddaka is a book reviewer for NovelMinority. She loves music, reading, and writing.
Web Design
(hehehe guess who's typing)
Shayla Astudillo
Shayla Astudillo (they/them) lives in Queens, New York attending their junior year of high school. The 16-year-old has found themselves with a passion for writing, activism, and food. They are a mentee at the Girls Write Now program where they are in a loving writing community.
Interview
Zainab Raza
Zainab Raza is currently a junior in high school, and one of the interviewers on the Novel Minority team! When not busy with school, Zainab really enjoys painting, biking, reading, and cooking. She is also an oxford comma enthusiast, and 100% a cat person.
Outreach
Chris Chen
Chris Chen is a junior from New York City. He is passionate about writing and music. Chris is excited to start working as our Co-Outreach Director and see what Novel Minority will be able to accomplish in the future!
Michelle
Lit. Reading
Michelle (she/her) is a high school junior who loves reading, writing, and baking. Her work has been recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. When she's not writing, you can usually find her avoiding her schoolwork or obsessing over Toni Morrison.
Samina
Graphic Design
Samina is a young artist, poet, graphic designer, writer, and YouTuber. She would love to make a change in this world. In her free time, she likes to play the piano, making short films, and writing poems. Her Instagram is @samina2005.2020 and her linktree is https://linktr.ee/Samina_Parveen for inquiries.
Rena Su
Web Design
Rena Su is from Vancouver, Canada and the author of Preparing Dinosaurs for Mass Extinction (ZED Press, Summer 2021). She enjoys endlessly reading Wikipedia and tweets @RenaSuWrites