It’s no secret that letter writing has now become a thing of the past, long since replaced by our ability to instantly communicate with each other via text message or phone call. But there is still a certain charm to letter writing, that I think the literary lovers amongst us will never quite get past, and for good reason.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Zoe, Soha, Arwyn and Elodie, interns working at the Letters Page, to find out more about the latest issue, the work they do and how the purpose of letter writing has evolved from an essential form of communication to an intimate art form.
So tell me about this latest publication of the Letters Page, and the work you are doing as interns.
In this latest issue, we started on a very different footing compared to some previous interns. The collaboration and concept of this issue were already established before we came on board.
This latest issue was inspired by Nottingham’s 10th anniversary as a City of Literature. The whole idea behind the collection was to bring people together from around the world through the art of letter writing, as well as the shared experience of being from Cities of Literature. All the featured letters are from writers living in Cities of Literature that are also celebrating their 10th anniversary. We only get one opportunity to turn ten as a city of literature, so it was an idea that was too good to pass up.
Because of this, our role has been more focused on promoting this issue and writing articles about the work that has been done to encourage people to read the Letters Page, as well as engage with the Cities of Literature community, and explore letter writing themselves.
How did you become interns with the Letters Page, and what are your roles?
It was quite an informative process, actually. We all had to submit an application centred around letter writing. As a part of this, we wrote a hypothetical letter inviting authors to contribute to the Letters Page. It was a lot of fun and really got us thinking creatively about the form.
As interns, we’re divided into four teams: web, production, marketing and publicity. Each team has its own responsibilities, but there’s definitely a little overlap.
The web team focuses on writing articles for the website. We brainstorm ideas and themes related to letter writing, then collaborate or work individually to write articles based on our ideas. We’ve also been working on updating the website itself, essentially giving it a “spring clean,” as there are currently two versions: a shiny newer one and an older version from previous iterations of the Letters Page.
The production team is similar to the web team, but they work slightly more behind the scenes. They still write feature articles, some of which discuss the letters from volume 5, but they explore different areas than what the web team focuses on. One key part of the intern process is exchanging letters with one another for peer feedback, which highlights both shared and contrasting perspectives, and has allowed us to grow a lot as writers through critical but supportive review of one another’s work.
The marketing and publicity teams focus on promotion, particularly through social media. They manage the Letters Page’s online presence, share the articles we write, and encourage engagement. Through this, we’ve actually had some lovely, really thoughtful responses from readers, which have been incredibly rewarding.
Across all the teams, there’s a strong sense of collaboration, and it’s a really supportive group of people to work with. We’re all English students, and it’s been amazing to see the range of writing styles and perspectives. The work feels genuinely inspiring, and there’s something powerful about how universal the experiences we read about in the letters we receive are. Even when they come from people in completely different parts of the world.
Why letters? What do they mean to you?
Letter writing is such an intimate form of expression, and we think that's what makes it so compelling. Historically, it was a vital form of communication, but now that function has died out, the significance of letter writing has changed, evolving into more of an art form, like poetry and other forms of literature.
Soha: One of the most interesting aspects of this Letters Page project for me was the fact that the letters had to be translated. All of the letters were written in their authors' original languages, which isn’t the norm for the Letters Page, so translation was central to the process of making this issue.
It struck me how intimate each letter was, sharing so much personal depth that was so singular to each writer. But it also highlighted something quite poignant to me: it’s quite devastating in some ways that not everyone can understand every language; some of the letters don’t always hit quite the same once they’re translated, and translation can lose some of the original meaning and reduce the eloquence of the letters.
That’s not to diminish the work of the translators, though, who did an incredible job preserving the essence of each letter, but there are always certain words or ideas that can’t be fully carried over in translation. It puts quite a literal meaning to “lost in translation”.
This is why I love that the collection includes both the original letters and their translations. It is a really beautiful way to publish them, as it allows the reader to gain a certain access to the writer and to understand and relate to the lived experiences of these people who live so far away from them.
Are you all quite avid letter writers yourselves?
Yes, we all love to write letters, although some of us get more opportunities to write than others.
Soha: I often write letters to myself. Through the Letters Page, I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for letter writing. It’s gone from something quite ordinary to something that now feels like a sacred form of art; a space for your most personal thoughts and feelings to be written. When you receive a letter, I always think of it as though you’re receiving a part of someone. Things like their handwriting or tone of voice are unique to them, so it feels deeply personal.
Arwyn: I’ve always loved the idea of letter writing, but I really got into it after moving to Nottingham for university. A friend from home and I started writing letters to one another, and that quickly became so addictive that it made me want to write more.
Elodie: Letter writing is really a lost art now, so it’s nice to be a part of something that is trying to preserve it and remind people of its importance.
Zoe: I think people still participate in letter writing more than they realise. Things like sending Christmas cards and Birthday cards keep that tradition alive. I hope people will continue to send them so this does survive, especially in a space where letter writing is beginning to dry out. Now letters have evolved into long-form, or reflective pieces, a bit like literary artworks. I think this is why something like the Letters Page is so important: because it encourages people to view letters in a new light.
Do each of you have a favourite letter from this issue?
Soha: The letter from Tartu, in Estonia, stood out to me. It explores displacement and identity, particularly the feeling of returning to a place that should feel like home, but no longer does. In the letter, the author, Tōnis Vilu, spoke about how moving back into his father’s house felt like a very alienating experience after not living there for so long. This really resonated with me. My family is from Egypt, but I didn’t grow up there, so I feel a connection to that culture as a part of my identity, but I also feel very far away from it. To me, it is home, but also not home. It’s an unusual kind of displacement that is so personal to an individual’s identity.
Arwyn: The letter from Ljubljana in Slovenia stood out to me. I really enjoyed the way the translator, Olivia Helliwell, responded to the letter in her own way, using parentheses to highlight how Manca Renko was using word play, which doesn’t quite translate into English. It helped the letter to retain some of its fun, playful authenticity.
Zoe and Elodie: We wrote an article together on the letter from Lviv in Ukraine, which was probably the most striking for us. It was written by Oksana Danchuk, who works in theatre, and she reflects on a friend who is currently fighting on the front line. In the letter, she explains how it’s really he who should be writing to us, because he is the far better writer than she, but he cannot take leave from the fighting right now.
We found this to be such a stark reminder that this is an ongoing conflict, even if it’s no longer catching the news headlines. It’s both a beautiful but brutal letter that captures the reality of war and the impact it has on everyday life so poignantly. It is so powerful in the way it explores such heavy themes so eloquently, and reality doesn’t shy away from the harder things in life and global conflict.
What is next for the Letters Page?
We’re currently taking submissions for the next issue, so if there is anyone who would like to send us a letter, please do!
One of the biggest challenges we’re going to encounter with this next issue, I think, is selection. In the past, there have been so many letters submitted, which cover a wide range of themes, and many of them are just so brilliantly written, inspiring, or thought-provoking, that deciding which letters to publish or themes to focus on is immensely difficult.
What lasting impression of letter writing would you hope readers take with them, after reading our conversation or the Letters Page?
Soha: I think I’d like to encourage readers not to underestimate the power of words. When you’re used to your own writing, you can forget just how powerful the words you use can really be. Writing, especially letter writing, can be an incredible form of rebellion, where we can share a part of ourselves and break free from the things constraining us.
Zoe: Yes, I agree, everyone has something to say, even if they don't think it's worthy of a Booker prize, it doesn't matter, letter writing is all about just having a go and saying what you feel!
All the letter submissions we have are always so well written, but they're also not necessarily written in a way that is literarily impressive. Sometimes they’re from someone who is simply just describing what they saw out of their window, or the mundanity of their everyday lives. But letters allow us to capture the simplest parts of humanity in a way that is just so beautiful and personal.
If you want to write something, just do it, don't put pressure on yourself; you can just document your thoughts or feelings from the day, and that's enough. You’re already a letter writer.
You can find out more about the Letters Page and their work on their website here: https://theletters.page/
You can order a copy of volume 5 of the letters page here: https://store.nottingham.ac.uk/product-catalogue/schools-and-departments/english/the-letters-page-vol-5
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