Tom Hanks praises “hero” Edinburgh bookseller for love of typewriters
Hanks called bookseller and typewriter mechanic Tom Hodges "a hero"
By Jen Thomas
Hollywood star Tom Hanks handwrote a letter praising an Edinburgh bookseller for keeping the love of typewriters alive.
In the note, Hanks called Tom Hodges a “hero.”
Hodges is a bookseller in Edinburgh and is also the only typewriter mechanic in Scotland.
He wrote to Hanks over the summer to tell him all about his shop, Typewronger Books, and to inform the actor about an exhibition about typewriters at the National Museum of Scotland.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hodges revealed that Hanks replied to his letter.
In his letter, Hodges told Hanks how he became a typewriter “geek” after living at the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris.
Tom Hanks has a collection of 120 typewriters and apparently loves to write with them.
Hodges said: “I receive letters from people all the time and they are all precious to me but it is not every day you receive one from a Hollywood legend and they call you their hero.”
He said: “I love all his films but I also love the fact he is such a fan of typewriters.
“It is a gorgeous letter and I am made up about it. It’s all been a bit surreal. It will be framed and have pride of place in the bookshop.
Hanks apparently praised Hodges for “battling against the giants to sell the best of books – and keep typewriters alive.”
Hodges said Hanks wrote his reply on the set of the Elvis biopic, directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Hanks is set to play the King’s notorious manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
The letter from Hanks was written on a reproduction of Colonel Parker’s letterhead.
As well as the Elvis biopic, Hanks has been working on a new film directed by Wes Anderson. The name has been confirmed as ‘Asteroid City’, and production wrapped earlier this month.
Work on the project started back in August in Spain, and it’s a star-studded production, with Hanks joined by Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie and more.