The term snail mail used to come complete with an eyeroll. A birthday card that turned up two weeks late. A parking fine whose payment date had passed before it even reached your front door. A postcard that arrived well after you’d arrived home from the holiday yourself. Ah, the beauty of IRL post, I say, surprisingly without an ounce of sarcasm, as we enter the snail mail renaissance: the entire concept of slow, handwritten, postman-delivered envelopes getting a rather remarkable rebrand thanks to the snail mail clubs.
What is a snail mail club, I hear you ask? Well, exactly what you might imagine: a (usually monthly) subscription where someone (usually a cool creative) sends you a physical letter with all kinds of goodies inside.
For some, it’s a personalised letter, a handwritten horoscope, or a signed photograph of some flowers and a postcard detailing everything you need to know about the petals. For others, it’s a monthly deep-dive into a specific animal, complete with an illustration only you few snail mail subscribers will ever own, a short story series, or a recipe card that expertly matches each season. All delivered, rather beautifully, to your front door.
Which, in a world of instant FaceTimes, WhatsApps, emails, DMs, texts (need I go on?), feels more than a bit exciting. Especially when all that currently sits in my own letterbox is an old water bill and a Domino’s pizza poster. And I know I’m not the only one.
Clearly, the return to analogue living is a little further along than we may have first thought. The art of letter-writing alive and well, with a whole community now potentially sitting in your postbox. You just, ironically, might have to scroll social media to find one. Or choose from the snail mail club line-up I personally like the look of below: animal lovers, astrology fans and flower enthusiasts all welcome.
Snail Mail Clubs
Field Notes Mail Club
Pegged as a monthly letter and art for outside people, Oscar Wildish and his artist dad Jonny Boatfield, focus their Field Notes Mail Club on one animal a month. Think: whales, otters, and curlews (a pretty large bird), with beautiful illustrations, a letter, postcard and art print accompanying each one. Sign up here
Snail Mail Clubs
Letters From The Stars Mail Club
One for the astrology lovers, this mail club comes complete with a personalised letter led by your birth chart, explaining what you have in store for the month ahead, along with a handful of small surprises. Sign up here
Snail Mail Clubs
Nature's Pencil
“I started photographing flowers because they make people happy. I started this mail service because I wanted to share that joy,” says Matthew Morrocco, the photographer and writer behind Nature's Pencil. Inside this monthly envelope, you’ll find a photo print, a floriography of the month postcard, a recipe, a letter about flowers, and a film recommendation. Sign up here
Snail Mail Clubs
Sisters Of The Moon Mail Club
Calling all the witchy and woo woo, this mail club has insights into the upcoming full moon, journal prompts, and energy rituals to enhance your everyday. You might even find a recording inside, from a guided meditation to a sound bath. Sign up here
Snail Mail Clubs
Pocket Art
Pocket Art’s mail club says it’s "curated for the art lover, the collector, and the one who appreciates a tangible piece of mail". If that sounds like you, then consider this limited edition art print subscription the most exciting way to discover new artists without even leaving your home.
