The 'Dear Viv' Letters
Redcliffe, 1950
Letters from a guest house.
Lil is a woman starting over in her middle years, not because she’s chasing a big dream, but because life quietly offered her a second chance and she said yes.
The 'Dear Viv' Letters follow Lil as she writes to her sister Viv about the goings-on at her old aunt’s guest house by the sea.
It’s a story told through letters set in 1950s coastal Queensland.
Once a month, you’ll receive the next letter in Lil’s story, printed on beautiful stationery in a cursive style.
It’s posted in a hand-designed envelope and tucked inside a different greeting card each month (featuring my own artwork).
How The 'Dear Viv' Letters began.
I was stuck in the loop of conversation with my Mum about doctor visits and health updates. I wanted to give us something better to share, so I started sending her letters that carried her back to familiar names and places.
It brought out memories and proper conversations again, and that’s how The 'Dear Viv' Letters began. I’ve been amazed by how often a simple piece of post can unlock connection for someone who’s been feeling isolated.
Before the letters began, there was a single letter from Lil to her sister Viv, written on the eve of leaving behind everything familiar.
With her late aunt’s old guest house waiting in Redcliffe, Lil sets out to begin again.
This special prequel to The 'Dear Viv' Letters offers a quiet glimpse into that first step. The hopes, nerves, and memories that shaped the story to come.
Pop your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
Kind Words from Subscribers
Receiving The ‘Dear Viv’ Letters is such a delightful experience. It’s a little escape from the day and I cherish that. Each letter comes tucked inside a stunning botanical artwork greeting card featuring the author’s artwork. Karen S. Canada
The 6-page letter features a beautiful cursive script and the story had me enthralled within seconds. It felt like it was personally written to me and I was sorry when it ended. I cannot wait for the next letter to see what comes next. Elsha P. Melbourne
My daughter gifted me this subscription for my birthday. It was very meaningful and such a unique gift. As I was reading, I was able to reminisce a little as the 1950s was a special time in my life. Can’t wait for the next one to arrive. Judy Q. Melbourne.
The Dear Viv Letters are absolutely amazing. So real and captivating. I find myself eagerly waiting for each new one to arrive! Greg C. Victoria.
I'm Kym.
I'm an artist and a storyteller. I don't know which I like better, so I do both.
I'm a baby boomer, born in the 1950s and influenced by the decades that followed. I grew up watching my mother, my grandmothers and the women around them live lives that went largely uncelebrated. I've been writing about them ever since.
My work lives at the intersection of memory, fiction and art. I write fictional letters from a 1950s Queensland guest house and create greeting cards from my original watercolour artwork to go with them. It started as something I made for my mother and it became something else entirely.
When I'm not writing or painting, I'm probably at a vintage market, picking up things that belong to someone else's story.