Saturday, 23rd May

Dear Polly,

I recently read a brilliant book that I think you’d like. It’s called Bolt From The Blue by Jeremy Cooper and it’s written entirely in the form of the letter! I know you did some work at the National Archives curating lost love letters, and the protagonist Lynn, an avid letter writer, reminded me a little of you; she’s also studying in London. She writes letters to her mother, giving her snapshots of her life as an artist working at all the famous galleries (although don’t read too closely into this – she’s a bit egocentric!).

It did get me thinking, though, about letter writing. The decade-long exchange between Lynn and her mother, throughout the book, creates a distance between them. It feels like they are both writing in a personal diary rather than communicating with each other, as they pick and choose parts of each other’s letters to respond to, then drift further apart as a result. But, I also think letters can be incredibly intimate, and this is why I am writing to you now; it’s nice to be able to hold a conversation without it getting lost in a stream of text messages, and to keep a written record for us both to look back on. Don’t you think?

Love,

Izzy

Wednesday, 27th May

Dear Izzy,

It’s so nice to receive a letter, I feel like it’s kind of a lost art these days! During my time at the archives I was sorting through letters that were written so long ago, and I came across such beautiful penmanship: every letter had such a different style, so it’s fun to put my own spin on the letter by writing to you. I kind of envied the recipients who were sent these eloquent expressions of love, and I remember one particular collection from the Prize Papers Project which included letters from ships captured between 1600-1860. Delving into the archives, we started to recognise recurring names of writers and addressees, a lovely testament to their lasting love; but one that was bittersweet, since the fact the letters were in the archives meant they had never been received.

“Slowing down the whole process and having to engage such consideration is so special to me”

It did feel a bit invasive though, reading people’s personal conversations. Sometimes, we’d even come across letters written by public figures and, as individuals who already have so much of their life scrutinised, it seemed a bit unfair that they weren’t even granted privacy in what should be the most personal and private correspondence. That said, I think having a display of such intimate forms of expression spanning wills, letters, legal records, and songs is so special and it was super interesting to see the development of our social system by comparing these older documents to more recent ones.

I also agree with what you’re saying about Lynn and her mum, I think letters are mostly about the person writing them. It is them who has made the choice to write the letter in the first place. The letter conveys their personal feelings, expressions, and updates, which they feel they would like to share with the other person. Particularly today, when letter writing is almost obsolete, the choice to buy stamps, write the letter, and post it on time is much more of a display of commitment and thoughtfulness to the other person than a phone call or text.

“I think these slow, intentional displays of love should be protected”

In a way, the inconvenience of letter writing is what makes it so special (this isn’t me saying that writing to you now is an inconvenience by the way!). But it’s the thought that is put into a message which can’t be deleted or edited, and the permanence of the letter that makes it so much more authentic. Slowing down the whole process and having to engage such consideration is so special to me. My favourite letters are the ones sent for special occasions, posting a card days in advance of a special occasion marks remembrance of their celebration that precedes a social media notification. Likewise, the ability to decorate a letter and make it personal to them is such a nice way to remind the recipient that you know them well and that you are spending your time purely to make them feel loved and nurture your relationship. I think these slow, intentional displays of love should be protected, as choices made in communicating with someone are very telling of a relationship.

Love,

Polly

Thursday, 28th May

Dear Polly,

Not to be cringe but receiving your letter made me realise why we write letters. Bolt From The Blue, which (spoiler alert!) ends with Lynn sending a postcard of the Twin Towers to her most-likely deceased mother reading ‘I was NOT here x’, made me see the letter as some kind of narcissistic memoir. But after hearing your thoughts I agree; I think the letter is about the relationship between two people. Writing to somebody is ultimately a gesture of love.

It therefore feels kind of counter-intuitive to ask you if I could share our exchange for an article I’m doing on the importance of writing letters. But I hope you’ll understand, as I think it’s important for other people to discover the art of letter writing too.

Love,

Izzy