WORLD LETTER WRITING DAY-
SEPTEMBER 1
Every
year on September 1, World Letter Writing Day encourages people worldwide to
pick up a pen, grab a piece of paper, and write a letter. It’s also a day to
learn about the art of letter writing.Every year on September 1, World Letter
Writing Day encourages people worldwide to pick up a pen, grab a piece of
paper, and write a letter. It’s also a day to learn about the art of letter
writing. In this digital age of text and email, it’s almost unheard of to sit
down and compose a letter. However, according to research, there are good
reasons not to abandon letter-writing altogether.
One
more reason to write a letter instead of a text or e-mail is that it forces you
to really think about what you’re writing. Far too often, we hurriedly send
texts and emails without really thinking about the impact our words have on the
receiver. With a handwritten letter, you are forced to be more careful with the
words you choose.If you have never written a letter, all you need to know is
the parts it should include. These parts include the date, a greeting, the
body, a closing, and your signature.The best way to observe this day is to
write a letter to someone. It could be a friend or relative that lives miles
away or someone you have lost contact with over time. The recipient of your
letter could even be your spouse, a parent, or best friend. Other ways to
participate include:
Richard
Simpkin founded World Letter Writing Day in 2014. In the late 1990s, Simpkin
wrote letters to those he considered to be an Australian legend. He became
excited when these legends responded to him by letter. In 2005, Simpkin
released his book, “Australian Legends.” His excitement over the letters that
made the project possible caused him to create a day dedicated to writing
letters. To help promote letter writing, Simpkin does letter writing workshops
in schools and encourages adults to take a break from social media and write a
letter.
World
Letter Writing Day takes place every year on 1 September. In 2026 it falls on
Tuesday, 1 September. The day encourages people of all ages to set aside their
screens, pick up a pen and write a letter by hand, reviving a form of
communication that email and instant messaging have pushed to the margins. It
was founded in 2014 by Australian author, artist and photographer Richard
Simpkin.
The
whole point of the day is to actually put pen to paper, so here are practical
ways to take part, whether you have five minutes or a quiet afternoon.Write to
someone you have lost touch with – Think of a friend or relative you have not
spoken to in a while and send them a few honest lines. A letter out of the blue
is a memorable way to reopen a connection that a text message rarely matches.
Send
a thank-you note – Write to a teacher, mentor, colleague or neighbour who has
helped you. Research suggests recipients are consistently more touched by a
handwritten thank-you than the writer expects.
Pen
a letter to your future self – Seal it, label it with a date a year or five
years away, and put it somewhere safe. Opening it later is a small act of time
travel.
Write
to a grandparent or older relative – Many older people grew up with letter
writing and treasure receiving post. A handwritten note can brighten a whole
week.
Join
a pen pal scheme – Sign up to a letter-writing initiative or charity that
connects you with isolated older people, hospital patients, or people
experiencing loneliness.
Use
proper stationery – Treat yourself to nice paper, a postcard or a fountain pen.
The ritual of choosing materials is part of what makes the day enjoyable.
Hold
a letter-writing session at school or work – Set aside half an hour for
colleagues, pupils or family members to write together. Simpkin himself runs
letter-writing workshops in schools to keep the skill alive.
Post
your letter properly – Resist the urge to photograph and send it digitally. Buy
a stamp, find a postbox and let the recipient enjoy the small thrill of finding
real post on the mat.
World
Letter Writing Day is an annual celebration of the handwritten letter and the
personal connection it creates. It invites everyone, regardless of age or
writing ability, to compose a letter to family, friends, teachers, mentors or
anyone they value. The day is deliberately low-pressure: a letter does not need
to be long or eloquent, it simply needs to be genuine. People around the world
take part, often sharing their efforts online while keeping the act itself
firmly analogue.World Letter Writing Day is held on 1 September every year. In
2026 that falls on a Tuesday. The date is fixed and does not move, and it was
chosen to coincide with the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere,
where the day was founded, symbolising fresh starts and new connections. If you
enjoy marking creative and written-word occasions, you might also like National
Writing Day, which champions the power of writing in all its forms.
The
History of World Letter Writing Day
The
origins of World Letter Writing Day lie in the work of Richard Simpkin, an
Australian author, artist and photographer. In the late 1990s, Simpkin began
handwriting letters to people he had never met but considered to be legends of
Australia, hoping to arrange interviews and photography sessions with them. He
was struck by how many of these well-known figures wrote back, and by the
lasting value of holding a personal, handwritten reply in his hands.
That
body of correspondence and portraiture became a project Simpkin called
Australian Legends, which he turned into a book published in 2005, titled 100
Australian Legends: The People Who Shaped a Nation. The letters that made the
project possible left him with a deep appreciation for the handwritten word and
a sense that the tradition was quietly slipping away.
In
2014, Simpkin established World Letter Writing Day to honour that tradition and
to encourage others to rediscover it. Since then the day has grown into an
international occasion, and Simpkin has continued to promote it through
workshops in schools, encouraging both children and adults to step away from
their devices and write a letter the old-fashioned way.The day was founded in
2014 by Richard Simpkin, the same artist behind the Australian Legends book
published in 2005.1 September was chosen because it marks the start of spring
in the Southern Hemisphere, a season associated with renewal and fresh
beginnings.
A
study published in the journal Psychological Science found that people who send
handwritten thank-you notes consistently underestimate how much the gesture
means to the recipient.
A
Royal Mail study reported that 74% of people felt that writing letters had
positive benefits for their mental wellbeing.Writing by hand engages the brain
differently from typing, slowing the mind and making the act a calming,
reflective experience.Unlike a deleted email or a buried text thread, a letter
can be kept for decades and rediscovered as a treasured keepsake.
In
a world dominated by instant messages and overflowing inboxes, the handwritten
letter has become a rare and meaningful gesture. Writing one forces us to slow
down, choose our words with care and give someone our full attention, which is
precisely why receiving a letter feels so personal. Beyond sentiment, the
practice carries real wellbeing benefits for both writer and recipient, from
reduced stress to a stronger sense of connection. World Letter Writing Day
matters because it keeps a centuries-old skill alive and reminds us that a few
honest lines on paper can mean more than a thousand notifications. If you
appreciate days that celebrate small, heartfelt gestures, Love Note Day shares
the same spirit.It is an annual day, held on 1 September, that encourages
people to write a letter by hand to someone they care about. The aim is to
celebrate the personal connection of handwritten correspondence and to keep the
tradition alive in a digital age.
Prof.
John Kurakar
