'A summer of postcards', the new initiative by ARA to reconnect with paper

We live surrounded by notifications, photos that disappear in 24 hours, and messages that are forgotten in seconds. But this summer, we suggest you take a break. How? By sending us a postcard. We want you to write to us from wherever you are and tell us how you are experiencing your holidays. We will read them one by one.

The goal of this proposal is to reconnect with paper to disconnect from screens. Because we all know how special it is to read a newspaper or a book on paper. And sending a postcard is also special, even though this practice is in decline. That's why we have set out to revive it. Because it connects you to the present, to a specific moment, to a place that has surely made you happy. Therefore, from ARA, and in collaboration with the Carmencita Film Lab photography studio, we are launching the initiative ‘A Summer of Postcards’. Among the participants, we will raffle three analog cameras, courtesy of Carmencita Film Lab, to capture future summers in an authentic way.

How to participate We want you to write us a postcard from where you are spending your summer, whether it's from nearby, a village, a city or a landscape in Catalonia or from a more remote place. And don't forget to tell us a story or a curiosity about your holidays.

The postcard should be sent to the editorial office of the newspaper ARA (carrer Peu de la Creu, 5.9, Barcelona 08001) and those we receive by September 20, 2026 (inclusive) will be entered into the draw. Make sure to include your email address on the postcard so we can get in touch with you.

Participating in ‘A Summer of Postcards’ has a prizeAmong all the people who send us a postcard, three analog cameras from the Carmencita Film Lab laboratory will be raffled, as well as the rolls, the developing and the scans of the photographs.

We are raffling the following cameras:- Canon AE1 SLR camera with one lens + 3 films (OneHundred, FourHundred and EightHundred) + development and scanning.

- 2 Kodak Funsaver disposable cameras with 39 photos each, including development and scanning.

We will also publish a collection of postcards between the pages of the print newspaper and in an Instagram carousel.

• Participation RulesEach person can send one or more postcards.
• Make sure to include your email address on the postcard so we can get in touch with you.
• The postcard can be sent from anywhere in the world, from a village in Catalonia or from a more remote place.
• The draw will be held among the postcards we receive until September 20 (inclusive). After this date, postcards that arrive later will no longer be included in the draw.
• The draw will be random, the postcards will be chosen by an innocent hand.
• Participating in the “A summer of postcards” initiative grants authorization for publication through the different dissemination channels used by the newspaper ARA.
• The draw will take place the week of September 21st.
• The winners will be announced through the carousel we will publish on the Instagram of @diariARA and @carmencitafilmlab the week of September 21st, as well as a story with the recording of the draw.

For any questions you can write to us at comunicacio@ara.cat

This summer don't send us a WhatsApp. Don't send us an audio. Send us a postcard.