To a New Dawn: Letters of Solidarity Anthology

LUCY PHILLIPS Nottingham Trent University Hello, Funnily enough much of my lockdown has been about writing letters to people I don’t know, and now here is another one!

Getting post, real post through the letter box, has been a highlight in these socially distanced times. Since the start of lockdown, I have received all sorts of treats. An anonymous friend sent a chocolate bar in an unsigned note; another posted a packet of sage seeds, which are now planted and sprouting; another sourced the most amazing 3D pop-up card; and my sister-in-law sends prizes every time I win the family bingo on a Sunday night (three times, since you ask).

Knowing that friends and family are thinking about me has provided real solace.

And whilst I too have been writing the occasional postcard or sending random gifts to friends, I have also been writing to people I have never met before. I opted to take part in the Nottingham Playhouse Pen Pals project. This means writing a letter to someone you don’t know and may never know.

Writing such a letter presents a series of quandaries. Why would a stranger want to hear from me? How do I write a letter that is interesting and engaging when I only have a name and two words of description? Does it seem a bit bigheaded to just ramble on about myself? But then what else 52