In a world of email, text messages and reels, letter writing is becoming a lost form of communication, but The Book Tavern recently joined an initiative to bring it back.
“This is a way to get people to write more letters. The goal is to write a letter every Sunday,” said David Hutchison, The Book Tavern owner, of the Sunday Letter Project.
The local shop joined other bookstores and cafés around the world who act as the letter keepers. They receive the letters and prospective pen pals can read introductory letters to find a kindred spirit.
Most of the shops and cafes are in the United States and the United Kingdom, but there are a few in locations such as Australia, India, Kenya and Singapore.
The Book Tavern received its first introductory letter from Carol in Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia about a week ago.
“Port Fairy is a beautiful coastal town with a population of 3,600. It won the title of World’s Most Liveable Town in 2012. The locals are very proud of that honour,” Carol wrote.
Hutchison said the book shop will serve as a clearing house for the letters. When a response is received, the Book Tavern will alert the letter-writer.
Hutchison said they first posted about the project on Facebook July 3. That post has generated a lot of interest, likes and comments, but no letters have been sent from the Book Tavern just yet.
People don’t have to only send letters to Carol via the Paper Store in Port Fairy. They can go to the Sunday Letter Project website and find a bookstore or café and write their own introductory letter to be sent to any of the participating locations.
A couple in Cheltenham, England started the Sunday Letter Project
“We started Wildflower Illustration Co. in 2015 because we believe in the power of a handwritten note to brighten someone’s day or capture a shared memory,” according to the Sunday Letter Project website.
“Starting out at the kitchen table of our flat, we moved to a barn studio in 2018. However, in September 2023 we finally achieved our dream of opening a bricks and mortar stationery shop in The Suffolks, Cheltenham. This now houses our studio, shop as well as an event space, where we host creative workshops and events.
“We started The Sunday Letter Project as a response to the number of people who come into the shop and say what a shame it is that no one writes letters anymore. We thought, well, maybe we could do something about that. A letter is so much more than just the paper and ink – the handwriting preserves an essence of our loved ones.”
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named best local writer by readers of Augusta Magazine in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
