The highlight of my life as a letter writer

In May 2013, I wrote a letter to Juliet Capulet (Verona, Italy), William Shakespear´s fictional character from the 1594 play "The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet".
The romantic snail mail organisation Juliet Club (Club di Giulietta), run by a group of lovely, underpaid secretaries, receive some 60.000 letters from all over the year every year. The amazing thing is that everyone gets a personal response. All 60.000!!
I had to write. The project included everything I love: Letters, history, love and litterature. I told the story of how I, a journalist student from Sweden, met a South African freedom fighter and political prisoner and fell in love.
I was not aware that there´s also an annual competition. Hence, it was a complete surprise when one of the secretaries contacted me with the news that I had won the award for the most beautiful letter in 2013. 
I, Paul and our youngest daughter Tholi attended the award ceremony in Verona on Valentine´s Day 2014. It was held in the House of Juliet on Via Capello, the 13th century building with the famous balcony where Shakespear is said to have imagined Juliet waiting for her Romeo.
It was pure magic and I would urge all lovers and snail mail fans to write to Juliet. The address is:
 

Club di Giulietta - Juliet Club

Corso Santa Anastasia 29

37121 Verona - Italy

 

Paul and I at the award ceremony.

My letter to Juliet.

Notes of event in my new Italian journal.