The lost art of letter writing: In a world increasingly dominated by digital communication, handwritten letters and postcards offer a unique and personal way to connect with others. These series explore the nostalgic charm and enduring value of letter writing, from heartfelt family correspondences to forgotten love letters.
There’s a bittersweet charm in handwritten letters and postcards. When you read them, you rediscover people you might have lost touch with over the years. There’s something deeply personal in the way the 't's are crossed and the 'i's are dotted. It’s the unique quirks of their handwriting that reveal their personalities—something the typed word can never fully capture. I miss the days of letter-writing, or perhaps it’s the people from that era that I miss, too.
As a child, I used to write to my grandmother in Trivandrum, Kerala, from Delhi, and she would faithfully write back. For several years, we shared conversations ranging from my school escapades to her little stories—like a snake slithering in through the drains—all captured on different letter pads in various colors. Looking back, the whole process of letter-writing was quite enjoyable: running down the street to slip a letter into the postbox, and later sifting through the mail the postman brought. After she passed away, the letter-writing had to stop. But the letters remain.
I may not have written a letter in years, but I still enjoy sending and receiving postcards. They might not be as detailed as letters, but these handwritten messages of warm wishes create a sense of closeness that transcends distance, connecting you to someone no matter how far apart you are. For instance, a friend of ours always sends us a postcard from Germany for Christmas, though it invariably arrives six months late. But we don’t mind at all. It’s not about when it reaches us—it’s about the feeling that stays with us.
