Welcome to the Letters of Note website, an online museum of correspondence which has been celebrating the humble letter since 2009. It was founded, and is still run, by me, Shaun Usher.
In 2013, the first Letters of Note book—crowdfunded with Unbound and published for trade by Canongate—was published to rave reviews, and it went on to become an international bestseller. A second volume followed in 2015. In 2020, the first six titles of an ambitious new series of themed Letters of Note books were unveiled, all accompanied by audiobooks overflowing with voice talent. The next six titles will follow in 2021.
2013 also saw the launch of Letters Live, an ongoing series of live shows–inspired by Letters of Note–in which some of these letters are brought to life by talented performers in memorable venues around the world. The first event took place at London’s Tabernacle in December of that year, in front of 200 people; six years and dozens of shows later, in October of 2019, Letters Live delighted a sold-out audience at the Royal Albert Hall.
Although much of my time is spent searching for letters of note, I have just two hands and two eyes, and many blind spots. I am therefore very open to submissions. Please do get in touch. And, should you wish to sign up for the Letters of Note newsletter, in which I send you interesting letters a few times each week, enter your email address below.
Yours in letters,
Shaun Usher