Last year, our writing competition saw thousands of letters penned to the city of London. Now it's back!
Last year, we received hundreds of entries to our Dear London competition, in collaboration with The Times and Montblanc. We invited our readers to write to the capital and tell us what the beguiling city means to them.
Our winner’s letter – Kerrin-Lee Neil’s ode to the “grit and glamour” of the capital – was read at Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall by Benedict Cumberbatch.
This year, we are running the competition again, with a different subject: ‘Dear Me’ invites you to write a letter to yourself; your younger self, your future self, or the person you are now. The winner will have their letter read live on stage at Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall on 21st November 2026.
How to enter
Entries can be sent either via email, to dearme@letterslive.com
Or via post, to:
Dear Me,
PO Box Number 81,673,
London,
W14 4JS
Letters must be less than 500 words, and be received by 14/10/2026. Entries will be sifted by Letters Live and a judging panel will decide the winner from a shortlist.
What you could win
Four shortlisted writers will receive:
The overall winner will also receive:
Read more over on The Times website >
Need some inspiration? Watch Benedict Cumberbatch read last year’s winner live on stage: