Letters are better

Did you know, today, Thursday 23 January, is National Handwriting Day?

With computers and mobile phones increasingly taking over how we communicate, the handwritten letter is continually under threat.

Handwriting is a true art form and one of the few ways we can uniquely express ourselves. There's something poetic about putting pen to paper and letting your thoughts flow through your fingers and pour into words.

Letters have been playing a crucial part in history for thousands of years. The first ever handwritten letter was thought to have been sent by the Persian Queen Atossa in around 500 BC, according to the ancient historian Hellanicus.

Today, why not rekindle that creative feeling through a handwritten note, poem, or letter. Whether you rediscover the pleasure of writing a letter to a long distant friend or catch up with thank you letters for your Christmas presents, today is the day to celebrate the joy of writing.

Below is an example of a letter where the author quite probably sparked his subsequent enormous fame simply by putting pen to paper.

The (translated) letter was written by the then little known Russian composer, Pytor Ilich Tchaikovsky to Edouard Colonne, at the Conservatoire Impérial de Musique in Paris on 25 December 1876.

‘I don't know if my name has had the privilege of being known to you. I am a Russian composer based in Moscow, enjoying a certain reputation in my country, but until now almost completely unknown abroad.

‘This winter, Mr Pasdeloups had one of my overtures played in one of his popular concerts. Apparently, this piece provoked some whistles but didn't go unnoticed.

‘People have written to me to tell me that many musicians have found my music quite interesting... I would like... to rent one of the concert halls in Paris... As... I would not presume that the public would pay to come and see me, I will bring the necessary amount of money... I will distribute free entry tickets.’