✒️ Write a letter

Jane Austen was a brilliant letter writer. Before phone or email, letters were the main form of communication when people were not nearby.

During her lifetime, Jane wrote thousands of letters! They looked a little bit different to the letters we know today. The main difference was they did not use envelopes. Instead, they wrote their letter on a folded piece of paper, folded it again and sealed it with wax.

They did not use stamps, instead the letter was paid for by the person who received it. The cost was based on how far it had travelled, and how heavy it was.

This is a letter written by Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, from our collection ⬇️

Write your own!

To write your own Regency-style letter, print our paper template on A4 paper (download link below).

Fold along the dotted lines to make a booklet, and write your letter on the cover and inside pages.

On the back cover, write the address and fold again. If you can, tuck one side inside the other.

Finally, seal your letter in some way – you could use a sticker or a piece of tape, or even a wax seal!