Letter Writer of the Month - Jaime-Leah
The London Letters Pen Pal Club began its life in 2019 with the hope of bringing together letter writing enthusiasts from across the globe to celebrate the joy of receiving letters and the power of the written word.
Over the years we've grown slowly in numbers each week, and we're so proud to now be a 650+ community of snail mailers! We have members from different countries, ages, religions, sexualities, political views, careers, disabilities, and genders - and whilst our differences vary dramatically, we are all united by a love of letters.
'Letter Writer of the Month' is a monthly journal entry where we invite one member from the club to give us an insight into their journey with letters. Some have always been letter writers from a young age, others only began when they signed up to the club. Our members all have a unique story to tell, and we hope you'll love getting to hear it.
Our Letter Writer of the Month for September is Jaime-Leah.
Name: Jaime-Leah
Age: 28
Job Title: Part-time Charity Worker and Writer
Location: Rochester, Kent
Member since: October 2022
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became interested in letter writing?
Hello! My name is Jaime-Leah, although everyone calls me Jam, and I’m 28. I work small hours at a cathedral as I’m currently a carer for my grandmother and will be starting my masters in Creative Writing come October. I think I’ve always been interested in letter writing in some form or another. When I was little, I would leave my mother notes on her pillow whenever I’d misbehaved which later evolved into writing notes for my friends and then trying to fold them into elaborate pieces of origami. I was also the kid that could never play with any of my Christmas presents until I had written my thank you notes and delivered them (I still do this now actually). I now have the habit of buying postcards whilst away or using hotel stationery to write home - well, that was until some time ago when I was told by family members that “enough is enough” and that they felt bombarded by my constant flow of correspondence. It was as though the universe could hear my disappointed sighs and London Letters popped up on my instagram feed like magic.
What is it about letters that you think makes them special?
Letters are so personal and I think that’s what makes them so special. I also like that it’s not instant like so much of our ‘digital lives’. There’s a slower, more thoughtful element to them.
What type of things do you write in letters, compared to digital communication?
I pretty much write anything and everything in my letters. I find that digital communication is somewhat constraining. It has certain benefits yes, but the anxiety of writing too much and over-sharing as well as the fear that something might be misconstrued is overwhelming at times. Letters have such a freedom to them. I can change my tone of language, I can be as expansive and forthcoming as I wish: perhaps most importantly, I can add things to my letters that I can’t with digital communication. As a child of the 90’s, I love doodling (Think drawing Harry Potter scars and beards on people in the newspaper). My letters are the same and usually the borders or corners give away where my head has been lately.
Do you have a favourite letter, either a famous one or one you’ve personally received?
I love reading anthologies of letters - especially, writers throughout history. My favourite letters are ones that I have personally received. My boyfriend is an engineer and not a writer whatsoever but each year on my birthday, he writes me a love letter and it’s a tradition I absolutely adore. Last year he gave me a shorter one, on smaller paper - I think he left it to last minute - but it is the perfect size to keep in my wallet and brings me such joy whenever I notice it through my day and various errands.
Do you feel any positive benefits to your mental health when you write?
100% yes! I’ve often been dubbed a ‘sociable-introvert’. I love seeing my friends and family members, checking in and making sure they’re doing okay but after a couple of hours, my battery is drained and I need to recharge. When I write -especially letters, I feel as though it’s a safe space. It’s a way that I can connect with someone on another level, at my own speed without being put on the spot in a social setting. There’s not a fear that I’ll have a foot-in-mouth situation because letter writing for me is more contemplative. Ultimately, the feeling that I can still have those meaningful conversations with others without becoming drained in social settings contributes to me feeling like I belong or I’m seen: and that always helps on the mental health front.
Describe your letter writing set up to us. Do you have a favourite pen or paper? Where are you when you’re writing?
My writing set up varies between two very different settings. My first and perhaps main set up is my desk. A large but simple, L-shaped desk that fits the description ‘organised chaos’ and half of the desk sits over a tortoise house (yes, you read that correct). My rescued tortoise Tank has played the role of desk-mascot since early 2020 and he takes his role very seriously. My other writing setup is actually at work. I work at a cathedral where we have a cafe in our crypt and it is my ideal set up. Good lighting, they make a great brew and my phone has no signal there which means I can often crack on with all the writing that Tank and my phone usually distract me from. It’s perfect.
I’ve never had a favourite paper per se but I’m a sucker for pens, especially fountain pens. I like to mix it up slightly with colourful inks and they usually depend on my mood at the time. I currently have a forest green ink in one of my pens which I love writing with.
What made you sign up to our pen pal club, and take a leap of faith by writing to a stranger?
While I have mentioned that my family told me I needed to cool it with my letter writing to them, I think I was drawn to the pen pal club for other reasons too. One of them being lack of human connection during Covid. I grew up in a household that hosted foreign students from when I was about ten to the beginning of Covid. We often hosted students for anything from a few days to seven or eight months at a time, which meant each night was an hour or so of our family at the dinner table talking and getting to know these ‘strangers’. I think growing up in this environment instilled a need for human connection and conversation in me, but given that I lean toward introverted tendencies I wanted this in a way that is comfortable and feels safe for me. A pen pal felt like the perfect fit.
Do you believe letters still have a place in modern society?
I think letters will always hold a place in society. Our world and technology seems to evolve at such a rapid pace and yet, I think we will always need that tangible form of human connection.
What would you say to someone to encourage them to give letter writing a try?
Take the plunge. Be open, curious and most importantly, be kind. A lot of people underestimate the power of letter writing. I think many think of letter writing as a long and time-consuming process when it doesn’t need to be: it can be what you want it to be. I also think there’s a benefit to opening yourself up to someone new. Having your interest piqued by your pen pals hobbies and interests, and getting excited over similarities you may share: it’s almost like being a kid again and is just a lovely experience.
A huge thank you to our Jaime-Leah for her time, and we hope you enjoyed getting to know her! Why not try Jaime-Leah's chosen letter writing companion and browse our range of fountain pens for your next letter?
Would you like to join our club? We're always open to new members, you can learn more about the club here.
Very good and well written letter from Jaime-Leah, very thought provoking and interesting.