Who wrote the letters in Wicked Little Letters? Explained

Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023, and then released in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on 23 February 2024, the Thea Sharrock dark comedy Wicked Little Letters delves into a true scandal that took place back in the 1920s in Littlehampton, England.

The scandal, which was known back then as the "Seaside Mystery," revolved around a series of hate letters that wrecked the small town, leading to a city-wide investigation.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the movie Wicked Little Letters. Discretion is advised.

The scandal kicked off when Edith Swan, played by Olivia Colman, initially started receiving letters with insults and profanities. The suspect-in-chief turns out to be Rose Gooding, played by Jessie Buckley, her foul-mouthed neighbor who has a rivalry with Edith. Her history with Edith leads to her arrest, after which the women of the town undergo their investigation after suspecting that something more sinister is at play.

The movie's official synopsis reads,

“When people in Littlehampton--including conservative local, Edith--begin receiving letters full of hilarious profanities, the rowdy, Irish migrant, Rose, is charged with the crime. Suspecting that something is amiss, the town's women investigate.”

As the overall plot suggests, the biggest mystery from the movie turns out to be the identity of the person who pens the letters. The biggest twist in the movie reveals that none other than Edith Swan herself had been penning the letters in question. This was because she wanted to hit back at her neighbor, with whom she had a longstanding rivalry.

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Who wrote the letters in Wicked Little Letters?

While the answer to that question effectively ruins the movie for people who have not yet watched, it was Edith Swan herself, who had written the letters.

Because of the rivalry that the two neighbors shared for years, Rose ended up becoming the prime suspect and was eventually arrested as well. Edith Swan’s father, a respected figure in the community, had encouraged authorities to get to the bottom of the matter. However, even after being arrested, Rose denied writing the letters and claimed that she was being framed.

This eventually was proven true, as the resulting investigation, spurred by a range of the town women, led to Swan being revealed as the sender. The character had a lot of repressed anger towards her neighbor and was also frustrated because of the overbearing nature of her father. The twist in itself was revealed right at the end of the movie, as Edith hilariously lashed out at her father, Edward Swan, portrayed by Timothy Spall.

Regardless, this was after Rose Gooding had been found guilty and was sentenced to 6 months in prison for libel. However, rather than any clear evidence pointing at her guilt, it was the community’s prejudice that led to the conviction, as Edith herself continued to send the letters even after Rose had been arrested.

This led to the authorities re-opening the case, as an elaborate scheme ended up trapping Edith. The police ended up, through the crook, selling marked postage stamps to Edith, which she ended up using to send further letters to herself. This led to the letters being tracked, as she was eventually arrested and convicted for 12 months in prison.

Rose’s name was also cleared towards the conclusion of the movie, as Edith ended up serving the prison sentence. The real-life person also underwent a similar fate and lived out the rest of her life in obscurity. Edith Swan passed away in March 1959, and the movie itself featured a happy ending for Rose.