Letter Writer of the Month - Melanie

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 but surely in numbers each week, and we're so proud to now be a 900+ 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 August is Melanie.

"It's really important that we keep letter-writing alive and support the postal system. Letters are important for so many things, like preserving our lives for future historians, meeting new people, and feeling a connection to the past."

Name: Melanie
Age: 35
Job Title: Freelance Writer
Location: Wales
Member since: May 2025

Tell us a little about yourself and how you became interested in letter writing?

What is it about letters that you think makes them special?

There are a number of things that make letters special. The act of writing by hand makes you slow down a bit and be more mindful. It makes you really appreciate writing, whereas that doesn't happen as much when we fire off emails on phones or laptops. I also think letter writing is a creative thing to do, even for people who aren't creative at all. It sparks the imagination and makes you feel whimsical. Another thing I like about letters is that they're something you can hold. On a bad day, you can physically hold a letter from a friend, and things don't seem as bad. A letter means you have a friend somewhere that cares about you, and you feel a bit better. You have this tangible reminder that someone cares about you. Sure, texts and emails are great too, but you can't physically hold on to those. 

What type of things do you write in letters compared to digital communications?

I tend to end up having deeper, more meaningful conversations through letters than I do in person or via email. In person contact, for me, usually involves small talk about the weather and how everybody is, and whereas small talk is important, you don't end up talking about the deeper things as much. And you get to write at length in a letter, which I really enjoy. 

Do you have a favourite letter, either famous or one you have received personally?

Yes I do! I don't still have it, but when I was about 6, my mum made me a letter from the tooth fairy in tiny writing. It was so pretty and such a nice idea. I'm still really touched that she did that for me. In terms of favourite famous letters, do the Hogwarts letters count? I would say those, and some historical ones like the Hekanakht letters from Ancient Egypt or the Silence Dogood letters. 

Do you feel any positive benefits to your mental health when you write?

Yes, definitely! Writing by hand is really soothing and you can be much more mindful about what you're doing. It also makes you slow down and really make a connection with the person you're writing to. You have to think about them much more. There's not the rush and the chaos and you can spend more time listening to what's going on in their life. Building connections is really important for our mental health and letters do count! 

Describe your letter writing set up. Do you have a favourite pen or paper? Where are you when you're writing?

What made you sign up to our pen pal club and take a leap of faith by writing to a stranger?

I had heard of London Letters before and I was curious about it. I am at a point in my life where social connections are really important and I wanted to do something to meet people and perhaps meet new friends. I also missed writing letters and hoarding stationery, and I missed having post! 

Do you believe letters still have a place in modern society?

Yes, of course! It's really important that we keep letter-writing alive and support the postal system. Letters are important for so many things, like preserving our lives for future historians, meeting new people, and feeling a connection to the past, when letters were the primary source of communication.

What role do you think letters will play in the future?

Letters are a slower, more mindful way to communicate and they help with literacy. Letter writing should always have a place in society, and future generations should have the opportunity to enjoy writing letters. 

What would you say to someone to encourage them to give letter writing a try?

A huge thank you to our Melanie for her time, and we hope you enjoyed getting to know her! Why not take that leap of faith and join our pen pal club too? We're always open to new members, you can learn more about the club here.