The illustrated letter: a practice-based investigation of epistolary storytelling through illustration

<p>This practice-based research thesis examines the picture-story letter, a term used in</p><p>this research to indicate a type of illustrated letter whose content is a story. The aim of</p><p>this research is to investigate the potential of this form of correspondence as an effective</p><p>storytelling medium and the particular qualities that the epistolary genre can contribute</p><p>to storytelling.</p><p>The research was carried out through a series of experiments in the making of picture-story</p><p>letters that look at how the letter’s materiality, epistolarity and ‘letterness’ influence</p><p>storytelling. Through practice, epistolary theories, such as parousia, homilia, ‘letterness’</p><p>were tested and applied to written and visual epistolary elements. Contextual research</p><p>on the epistolary genre, its history, theories and conventions informed my practice. The</p><p>picture-story letters of Beatrix Potter and JRR Tolkien are used as case studies in this</p><p>research.</p><p>This research finds that the features of the illustrated letter can be integrated in storytelling;</p><p>its materiality, penmanship, colour, text and illustration have a role as narrative</p><p>devices. The unbound paper, its foldings and additions support the narrative and</p><p>provide interactivity to the reader. Additionally, in this research I was able to identify an</p><p>approach to epistolary storytelling that I term ‘epistolary illustration’. Besides its utility</p><p>in the making of picture-story letters epistolary illustration served as a creative process</p><p>that can be applied across genres.</p><p>The potential of the picture-story letter as an alternative medium for illustrated stories is</p><p>demonstrated, offering a wide range of creative possibilities for author-illustrators. The</p><p>epistolary genre’s contributions to the illustrated story are its format, epistolary element,</p><p>qualities and materiality, that evoke the qualities of a personal and private conversation,</p><p>providing an engaging experience to the reader.</p>