The art of letter writing isn’t dead. In fact, small communities of writers and analogue admirers keep it very much alive. In Vancouver, you can walk into The Regional Assembly of Text on the first Thursday of each month, and hear the hammering of old keys. But there are no screens to be found here, just a packed room of typewriters and their operators: writers of all ages, composing letters. The Regional Assembly of Text organized a monthly gathering called the Letter Writing Club where anyone is welcome to use one of the typewriters and supplies available—for free. Since 2005, the Letter Writing Club meets monthly to draft and compose letters on vintage typewriters.
This initiative has received incredible praise and a movement for handwritten and analogue typing has spread across North America in the form of small gatherings at coffee shops or old post offices. Even Toronto has its own letter-writing circle: Post A Letter Social Activity Club, or Pal-Sac for short. Everyone is welcome to join, and can come and go as they please. The club meets at different locations in the city during different times of the month.
Toronto Downtown:
Third Sunday of the month, 1-4pm
Toronto’s First Post Office
260 Adelaide St. East
Toronto East:
First Monday of the month, 7-10pm
The Avro
750b Queen St. East
Toronto West:
Last Wednesday of the month, 7-10pm
Holy Oak
1241 Bloor St. West
If there aren’t any Pal-Sac or letter writing societies near you, grab a bunch of friends together and have a writing party. It’s fun to write letters to the attendees of the party, but they can’t see it until they receive it in the mail!
To write a lovely letter, you don’t need a fancy typewriter. Handwritten letters are endearing and always unique. Your writing style changes, sometimes lines aren’t very straight, and there are a lot of words scratched out when you make mistakes. You can use different coloured inks on any paper or postcards, and be sure to personalize them with drawings, stickers, and stamps.
Magic Pony has a huge array of postcards and other stationary to make all of your future letters special. A personal favourite is Yellow Owl Workshop’s stamp collections. Get writing!