GFSC collective member Sylvia Kölling is fascinated by local and regional histories, particularly from a feminist angle. Sylvia became interested in the idea of letter-writing as a mode of public storytelling and sharing, and came up with the idea of ‘Dear Friend’ — a letter writing project which welcomes submissions from anyone who wants to write a public letter of support to a woman who inspired them or has made a difference in an area of equality: such as the fight against slavery, racial discrimination, or the ongoing fight for peace.

First, GFSC developed a simple brand identity for the project, and built a website that would enable both letter submission, display of the letters, and promotion of the project and any associated events. We then teamed up with Manchester Geek Girls to run a letter writing event at one of their ‘tea parties’, and invited staff and students from the Centre For the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Manchester, to help participants at the event find out more about women who may have been overlooked by history.