Welcome to Letters Trellis. Based on the idea of celebrating the art of correspondence, Letters Trellis is a project to encourage the writing of traditional letters. It recalls an experience in Grignan, France, where there is an annual festival to acknowledge the joy and connection possible through posted correspondence. Courtyard spaces offer table, chair and stationery for visitors to write a letter. At the end of each day, the envelopes are posted and mailed as a service from the community. Letter Trellis was formed to offer this same experience for visitors to Winchester community events. The Winchester Farmers Market has generously welcomed us for four years, allowing the space to provide materials, a sheltered area, and ideas to prompt the creation of handwritten messages from one to another. We are also grateful for our past support from the Winchester Cultural Council (a local chapter to distribute state funding of the arts) and the Winchester Historical Society.
Letters Trellis begins 2024 with our third intergenerational Pen Pal Program in collaboration with the Jenks Center and McCall Middle School. Monthly letters are couriered between the senior center and the school office to facilitate written conversations between seniors and students. At the end of the school year, the writing partners will meet in person. You can read more about how this works here.
April 21, 2024
April is National Letter Writing Month and The Purple Couch Bookshop is hosting a Letters Pop-up on Sunday, April 21 from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. This free event invites visitors to write a letter to a loved one or friend. Materials and writing guidance are provided by Letters Trellis, a creative venture to encourage the writing of letters with pen in hand.
Stop by to take a seat at one of our writing areas. All completed letters will be stamped and posted. We think you will enjoy every aspect of this event – the planning of who you will write, the comfortable time and space to capture your thoughts, some writing ideas to get you started, and the joy of awaiting a response from your intended reader.
We will also look forward to presenting a follow-up session to our successful Grammar Activity by coordinating with Ellen Jovin for an in-person event this year. We’ll reach out to our mailing list when the details are arranged (please send us your email address if you want to be notified).
At the Market: Tentative dates for Letters Trellis to return to the Winchester Farmers Market on Winchester Town Common are July 6, August 3, September 14 and October 26.
We are looking for potential venues to offer our pop-up Letters Trellis writing table. This can be a great opportunity to encourage handwritten letters and relationships. We are open to discussing arrangements. Please email kareful@letterstrellis.com to inquire.
We would love to hear about your letter writing experience with Letters Trellis: please fill out the survey and let us know your experience. https://forms.gle/kNoBqDkJ6eNKxpXM7 . Thank you!
[2024-04-12 updated]