Snail mail is awesome

Ah, it's not just me then - I stumbled across this article recently from UK newspaper The Independent. Have a read if you're interested in the resurgence of snail mail. And do check out Letter Lounge - what an awesome concept. Why don't we have anything like this here? Do we? Let me know. Maybe we do. Probably in Melbourne though. Everything seems to be in Melbourne.

"Email, text and Twitter were said to be the final nails in its coffin. But as with Mark Twain – a great exponent of the art – reports of the death of letter writing have been greatly exaggerated. Increasingly, people are forgoing the gratification of instant electronic communication for a slower, more personal approach – letter writing is experiencing a revival, and the art of saying thank you is central to its resurgence.

Retailers are reporting increased sales of "snail mail" stationery, including writing sets and fountain pens. They claim the trend for handwritten correspondence is a reaction against electronic communication and part of a wider resurgence in home-made crafts.

With sales of writing paper at the UK's John Lewis soaring 79 per cent year-on-year, Clare Northwood, the group's stationery buyer, said there was a "return to people handwriting letters and notecards, offering a more personalised touch". Increased entertaining at home because of the economic downturn could be behind a 20 per cent rise in sales of "thank you" notelets, she said. "It is easier to ping off an email but it is more meaningful to send a thank you card, particularly if someone cooked for you and has gone that extra mile."

Children's writing sets featuring well-known characters are also performing well: sales of Hello Kitty products have risen by 62 per cent in the past 12 months, she said.

Annette Sharp, managing director of the Bristol-based online retailer Papernation, said: "Parents see letter writing as a way of encouraging their children's writing skills without sitting them down to homework. It's a real-life way of encouraging writing skills in children.

"I think it is part of a wider hand-made and back-to-basics approach, appreciating the smaller things in life," she said. "People are a little bit fed up of being bombarded by technology. And it's actually quite nice to sit down and write a note or letter and take time over it. People see letter writing as a way of expressing their personality."

Decorative and embossed designs have become popular, with people buying rubber stamps and stickers to add their own creative touch. "It becomes a piece of art from one friend to another," she said.

Retailers have also reported increased sales of handwriting equipment, with sales of fountain pens up 70 per cent. This surge includes sales of expensive models such as the Mont Blanc Diamond Pen, as customers choose products that make handwriting more enjoyable.

London's City Lit, the largest adult education centre in Europe, has increased its calligraphy courses from six to nine for this coming September, due, it said, to "overwhelming demand".

The joy of getting letters prompted a copywriter, Claire Medcalf, 29, to set up Letter Lounge – a space for people to socialise and write letters. Its success over the past six months took her by surprise, leading her to increase the number of events to meet demand. Most of those attending are in their twenties.

"The only people I get handwritten letters from now are my grandparents," she said, "but I used to write letters to friends at school and things like that. Everyone likes getting letters but people don't really write them any more. I thought if I created an event where it was the main focus, people would take the time to do it."