A stationery shop owner who missed the childhood thrill of receiving post has revived the lost art of letter writing, sparking a global movement. Rebecca Maguire, 35, launched The Sunday Letter Project in October 2025 after customers at her shop, Wildflower Illustration Co in Cheltenham, repeatedly asked why nobody sends letters anymore.
'People were mourning the fact that as a society we have stopped doing that as a regular practice. A lot of people thought if they suddenly wrote someone a letter out of the blue, they might think they were dying, or something weird was going on,' says Rebecca. So she, her husband Karl, 39, and daughter Alba, now seven, began writing letters every Sunday afternoon, despite running the business and caring for baby Edie.
'We made a promise to ourselves that we would do it. Then it became a practice and we really enjoyed it as a family,' she says.
From Local Habit to Global Movement
The free project invites people to pledge to spend time each Sunday writing to loved ones. Within weeks, more than 1,000 people had signed up. Rebecca then set up a pen pals project connecting people via 200 stationery shops and bookstores worldwide.
'It just caught people's imaginations. People were getting fed up of the internet, and doom-scrolling, and everything being online, and feeling like they don't have any physical memories to hold any more,' she says.
A landmark study found that people in the UK spend an average of 4.7 years of their lives doomscrolling. Rebecca's movement went viral when an Instagram post from @thesundayletterproject received one million views. Now, with 12,000 members writing 52 times a year, three million letters are expected to be sent over the next five years.
Mental Health and Connection Benefits
Rebecca also works with charities, arranging for letter writers to correspond with the lonely, isolated, and those undergoing cancer treatment. 'I've just always loved letters. I know from my own experience that there is something really special about a letter. It seems to freeze time and handwriting captures the essence of a person. In a digital world, those experiences are so thin on the ground, so it's great to forge that connection through pen and paper,' she says.
She argues that letter writing is a deeply relaxing practice that helps slow down and live more intentionally. 'There is also lots of evidence now that writing by hand is good for you and that there are many benefits from putting pen to paper. People spend so long on screens, which is low effort and high reward, that it makes things in real life seem harder than they are.'
'But the unique thing about this is that paper makes us feel good. You choose nice paper and stickers and then you are doing something with your hands in the real world. You are creating something and that produces a sense of accomplishment. It may only be a small thing but it feels like a real achievement.'
An Antidote to Digital Overload
Rebecca, who now has a pen pal in California, says the project provides a healthy alternative to the dizzying march of AI and helps develop critical thinking skills. 'I loved getting letters as a child. Nowadays, it's just bills and online shopping, which is just empty dopamine. It seems really sad that there is a whole generation of children who don't experience that joy.'
'If you are thinking of writing a letter or joining up, I would encourage you to give it a go. Most people who have tried The Sunday Letter Project absolutely loved the experience. It is lovely to carve out a bit of time for yourself and engage in an activity that makes you feel really good.'
