Women of Letters

When was the last time you wrote a letter? Like, a real letter needing a 60c stamp and written with a pen? This doesn’t include birthday or Christmas cards either, cheaters.

I was about 13 I think. Dad got a promotion and we moved away from the little coastal town I had spent the previous 12 years of my life. For a 13 year old girl this is like, so totally devastating.

So my friends and I wrote letters to each other.  The letters mainly included information on who was new BFF's with who or that Rodney threw a half eaten apple at Anna’s head – he SO likes her.

Sometimes we would send each other friendship bands that we had crafted ourselves and at some point we went through a stage where we’d put the weirdest thing possible in an envelope and send it. I remember receiving a smear of toothpaste with a note that read “try this new toothpaste mum bought me - dare ya to lick it”

A while ago we went to a Women of Letters event at the Red Rattler in Marickville. It bought together some of Sydney’s brightest musicians, writers, and actresses to celebrate the lost art of letter-writing and share a letter they had penned specifically relating to love.

Our faves were Claudia Karvan and Sally Seltman. Claudia because well… she’s Claudia and wrote a letter to love itself. She read it aloud like she was narrating a scene from Love My Way. It was beaudiful.

And Sally because she sang Beyonce’s Halo in a love tribute to catchy pop songs. She had everyone singing along with her, which was quite entertaining in itself.

Hand written letters needing a 60c stamp truly are a lost art. Which is why I’m so glad I kept every single one that I received when I was 13. They’re all in a box in my old bedroom and every few years I read them. Each one has been designed with love hearts or flowers with pretty colours and personality.

Nothing compares to a good old tangible letter, does it?