The Sunday Letter Project
As you’ll know by now - I’m a fan of the analogue version of doing things. So when I saw that Gulliver’s Bookshop in Wimborne had joined the Sunday Letter Project I was so excited - I’ve wanted to do the project for months but not been able to because nowhere near me has signed up to be a letter-keeper shop.
It was one of those ‘buy the thing and the situation will happen’ kind of moments; I was out with a friend and saw some letter stationery and said how I'd love to buy it but didn’t have anyone to write to. She did what I usually do in these situations which is be the person who says: for goodness sakes just do it! So I did and when I got home I did and quick google just in case and sure enough… the Universe delivered.
What is the Sunday Letter Project?
It’s a pen pal network using shops as letter keepers so that you don’t have to give out your home address… genius right? Right.
You go to the shop that’s nearest you and see if they have any introduction letters. If they do and you connect with any of them, just pick it up and either take it home or take a picture of the contents (I take a picture so that then other people can send letters to them as well - because why not have more than one pen pal?!).
Then it’s writing time!
Once you’ve written your letter put the address of the shop where your pen pal collects their mail on the front, and the address of your nearest shop on the back.
Because we all write once a week you shouldn’t have to wait long for a reply. Then just see if you gel and enjoy!
Why write letters?
Letter writing is a dying art, and not only because stamps are so expensive nowadays. Attention spans are shorter, our adrenals are all over the place and the general consensus is that it’s easier to send a WhatsApp.
And yes all of those are true and valid reasons not to write letters.
But that’s also why we need to take advantage of this amazing project. You don’t have to pay for stamps, you don’t have to give out your home address and you don’t have to write to anyone you don’t click with. It’s like going on blind dates but with pen and paper and delectable envelopes and ink.
Letter writing is such a decadent frivolity nowadays, when all the letters we receive through the post are bills or charity guilt-trips it’s lovely to go somewhere and pick up a letter just for you that contains something lovely. You don’t need to write letters, but you should.
Writing takes time, it’s an art form in itself and one that is slowly dying because no one has to write on pen and paper nowadays. And that’s so sad.
So take up your pens, find your nearest shop and make new friends who also love the simple decadence of receiving and writing letters.