Long Night of Writing 2020: retailers can set their favourite date themselves

From the contact ban to writing as a sign of affection

There can be no talk of normality this year. During the weeks of the lockdown, people found creative ways to keep in touch with family, friends and customers and to show how much they appreciated each other. Sometimes, it helped to pause for a while, to reach for pen and paper, to sort out one’s thoughts and feelings, and to just start writing.

Long Night of Writing: “Writing by Hand is Love”

This year, the German association “Initiative Schreiben e.V.” has chosen as its motto for the 4th Long Night of Writing "Writing by Hand is Love", thus demonstrating how emotional contact with one’s fellow human beings can be maintained – even in difficult times. Anyone who receives a few handwritten lines can be sure that the sender has thought about them and taken time to make the recipient happy.

This is why Initiative Schreiben e.V. continues to stand by its 4th Long Night of Writing, while allowing participants the maximum amount of flexibility. After all, the constant change in coronavirus protection measures demands ingenuity. The organisers of the Long Night of Writing are free to decide when and how they want to hold the event – entirely as their individual circumstances allow it. Anyone interested in organising the Long Night of Writing who is able to guarantee that participants will be adequately protected will receive all the necessary materials from Initiative Schreiben to announce and advertise the event. 

Showing appreciation – that’s the main thing

With the Long Night of Writing, Initiative Schreiben e.V. and its partners from the industry want to promote writing competence and, above all, the joy of writing. This year's motto "Writing by Hand is Love" is not only about love letters and postcards, but also about the possible ways of showing how much you appreciate others personally. Retailers can carry out the following activities for this year's Long Night of Writing: 

• Creating works of art through lines and writing
• Unique packaging design
• Handlettering
• Compliments, love messages, greeting cards and much, much more

If you are stuck for ideas about what you can do for this year's Long Night of Writing, Initiative Schreiben e.V. will send retailers interested in organising an event a guide that is full of inspiration and workshop suggestions.

Long Night of Writing – by yourself or together with others

In cooperation with Seel Schreibwaren, a stationer’s, the Catholic Adult Education Department of Heilbronn City and County (KEB) dedicated two evenings in July to the creative power of pen and paper. At tables placed a suitable distance apart, course instructor and calligrapher Petra Kirchner got the participants to write stories or thoughts in a kind of letter. The participants took words from the text and wrote them artistically on butterflies or paper forms. They were then transformed into a mobile-like spatial object, so that the messages of the "Writing by Hand is Love" night now float gently through the air. Ms Eva Schnepf, managing director of Seel Schreibwaren, was delighted with the joint event and still receives charming thank-you cards from the participants from time to time. 

Why taking part is worth your while

In times like these, customer loyalty is a decisive criterion for the success of a company. Emotions and proximity to customers maintain and even strengthen the bond. Even if it seems that normality is slowly returning after weeks of paralyzed public life, many people's feelings are still agitated. By inviting customers to discuss and write about things, retailers can show that they have the well-being of their customers at heart.