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In Conversation with Liz Maguire

At London Letters our goal is to create beautiful stationery pieces that encourages you to write more letters. We believe that letters play an important role in modern society, and we're not alone in this view.

Each month we'll be chatting with a different snail mail enthusiast to find out why they think letters are special, why they think they still matter today, and what drives their passion to continue writing. 

This month we got chatting to someone we've been following on Instagram ever since London Letters began! Liz Maguire is the creator and curator of Flea Market Love Letters, a digital archive of vintage love letters. She is dedicated to preserving and sharing letters. With a passion for storytelling and a fascination with the past, Liz began her journey by collecting forgotten letters from flea markets. She recognised the value of these personal histories and wanted to give them a new life, creating a space where readers can explore past generations in their own words. Through Flea Market Love Letters, Liz has amassed a large collection of almost 3,500 letters spanning various eras and themes, each one offering a glimpse into the human experience through the lens of love and connection. Her archive not only honors the original writers but also invites contemporary audiences to reflect on the enduring nature of love and communication. Liz's work has resonated with readers worldwide, who are drawn to the authenticity and emotion captured in each letter. As the curator of this digital archive, Liz Maguire continues to collect, transcribe, and share these treasures, ensuring that the voices of the past are preserved for future generations to discover.

"A letter landing in the mailbox is the closest we can come to magic in the modern world."

 

Tell us a little bit about your own letter writing history. Do you recall the first letter you received, or wrote?

I love letter writing. As a collector of vintage love letters from flea markets, I had always wanted to write my own, but I never found the right time or space. Then, during the pandemic, I suddenly had the perfect combination of elements: time and copious amounts of stationery. I used to tell people that writing letters was making a difference—that their letters mattered, and that they themselves mattered. I went from having one matched penpal to, at the height of COVID, 88 people writing to me. Did I write back to every single one? No. Some people just wanted to write for the sake of writing, so, for a time, I became a place where people could send those letters that were inside them. I imagine it was cathartic: writing and sending a letter to a stranger during such a surreal time. A lot of things that made sense then seem so foreign now, but in those days, they were what helped.

How often do you write letters now?

These days, there are two reasons I write letters. I write to my grandparents in the U.S. every month. They’re experiencing the changes that come with aging, and the least I can do is send them a card. I like to write about adventures my husband and I have, memories from growing up with my grandparents, or stories about my two cats, Kubrick and Mr. Blue. In addition to writing to my grandparents, I also write for ‘From Me to You,’ a charity that matches donated letters with people experiencing cancer. Every month, I try to write a few letters for the charity. It’s a drop in the ocean, but it’s a way to keep my letter-writing muscles sharp!

Describe your letter writing set up for us. Do you have any favourite stationery or pens you use? Where do you like to write from?

Believe it or not, I love to write letters while I’m out and about. A few years ago, I created a portable letter-writing kit that includes postcards, greeting cards, washi tape, some stickers for decoration—and, of course, stamps! You always need stamps. When I have time to spare, I try to reach for that kit instead of my phone. I’m not always successful, but I find that once I start writing, I don’t want to stop. I’ve written letters from coffee shops in Dublin, hotel rooms in Washington D.C., and cafes in Paris. Where you are doesn’t matter; it’s the simple act of writing that does.


What type of content would you use for a letter, as opposed to digital communication?

When I’m writing a letter to my grandparents or for the charity, I love to pick a specific moment to focus on. I find it easier to describe a scene or a memory than to write in a more abstract way. Without a “punchline” to my story, I could go on forever and never really reach a point.

Sometimes, I’ll write about the image on the stationery. I have a set of butterfly greeting cards, which I bought from a charity shop specifically for the donated letters. There must be dozens, each featuring a different photograph of a butterfly. For a few semesters in college, I volunteered in the butterfly room at the Natural History Museum in Washington D.C. I enjoy sharing random butterfly facts and stories from my time volunteering, and those cards remind me of the stories I include.

As another example, I was recently on a Zoom call for work when the other woman said, “If you’ll excuse me a moment, I think I hear a cat.” Naturally, I asked, “Do you have a cat?” “No,” she replied, “but I do have a parrot.”

To me, that’s a nugget perfect for a letter to a family member or a stranger. It has humor, it has imagery, and it leaves the reader wondering.

What do you think makes letters special?

Letters are special because they capture a moment with someone while you’re apart. A letter landing in the mailbox is the closest we can come to magic in the modern world. For however long—five, ten, fifteen minutes—that person spent time with you in their mind. That’s why letter writing was so important to me during the COVID lockdowns. We were isolated and alone, but a letter was a way to feel less of those things and more hopeful. You’d spend the day looking for the postman; you’d look forward to what they brought. Letters are truly special and should be treated as such.

Are there any letters that you've held onto for a long time? Do you have a favourite?

I didn’t receive these letters personally, but in a way, I did! For my wedding, my maternal family gifted me my great-grandfather’s World War II letters to my great-grandmother. I haven’t read the full collection or transcribed it as I have for Flea Market Love Letters. Instead, I like to dip in from time to time, read a letter or two, and immerse myself in the words, penmanship, and era of my great-grandfather from almost 90 years ago.

Are there any famous letters you're especially fond of?

One of my favorite letters is Sol LeWits 1960s letter to Eva Hesse entitled ‘Do’. I recommend listening to Benedict Cumberbatch performing it (mind the language if there are little ears around!) here.

Do you feel any positive benefits to your mental health when you're writing or receiving a letter?

Oh yes, absolutely! I find a particular zen when I’m writing a letter or decorating the envelope. I try to write my letters in the morning after my walk but before I start work. Then, I’ll often post them the next morning on my walk or take an afternoon trip to the postbox. I enjoy the act of writing letters for obvious reasons, but I also appreciate how tidy the process is: sit, write, seal, and send. It’s an easy way to start a productive day by writing one or two cards, and the bonus is that they’ll (hopefully) make someone happy.

The part I enjoy the least? Addressing the envelope! My handwriting varies day by day, so I’m not the proudest of it. The address on the envelope is rarely centered, almost always slanting or sloping, and certainly not very pretty! But my letters get where they’re going, so I’m satisfied!

How do you envisage the future of letter writing?

I believe that letter writing isn’t dying so much as it’s evolving. Yes, there’s a decrease in letter writing, but as we saw with COVID, the desire for simple pleasures and slow living is something many people crave. Letter writing will always find a place in times of uncertainty, and we have no shortage of those these days. How do we keep letters as part of the conversation? We teach kids about letters. I’m not talking about forcing them to write thank-you cards, but rather letting them send and receive cards a few times a year—something as simple as that—from a grandparent or close family member. Plus, a thank-you card from time to time.

I also think it’s important to address accessibility. Letter writing cannot continue to be defined exclusively as pen and paper—blasphemous, I know, to some—because individuals have different needs that require different solutions. Just because someone may use an app to help them dictate a letter as an email to a friend, rather than holding a pen (which they might not be able to do) or writing on a page they cannot see, doesn’t mean their letter is any less significant. Ableism in letter writing is often disguised as nostalgia, and if letter writing is to continue, we must allow it to adapt with the times.

What would you say to someone that's never written or received a letter before, to encourage them to try it?

If you’ve never written or received a letter, you’re not alone. There are statistics from every country in the world showing the decrease in letter writing. If you’re struggling to find someone to write to or feel embarrassed about writing to someone you know "out of the blue," consider writing a letter for the charity From Me to You, which needs thousands of letters each year to meet the demand from letter recipients. Not sure how to start? I like to think of a little moment or anecdote and nestle it between a greeting and a goodbye. But the best way to start a habit of letter writing is simply to start.

  

A huge thank you to the brilliant Liz for her time and passion for the written word. You can find out more about Liz's work by heading to the Fleamarket Love Letters website or by following her on Instagram.

Why not try writing your envelopes in a straight line! Our Address Guide is here to give you a helping hand and make your envelopes look beautiful every time.

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