Can I have a word?

Or many more for that matter, as graphologist Elaine Quigley can uncover personality traits from your handwriting, Sandra Smith discovers

- Sandra Smith

DO YOU ever give much thought to handwriting? I don’t mean as a method of communication, or even individual content, but rather the idiosyncrasies of the shapes we create and the underlying influence behind personal forms.

Analysis of the physical characteristics of handwriting first surfaced hundreds of years ago, though such historical interest has never deterred my scepticism. It took a graphologist, Elaine Quigley, to enlighten me. During an afternoon at her Chalfont St Peter home I discover this pseudo science is not only far more grounded than I’d realised, it is also uncannily accurate. Every dot, letter and angle, even margin dimensions, convey more than a written message, they reflect the person behind the words.

“It’s amazing how much writing can tell you about people,” Elaine explains.

“Everyone’s characteristics are replicated in their writing.”

The Melbourne-born psychologist arrived in England during the 1960s and trained as a secretary before marrying at the age of 18. An interest in youth work while living in Scotland led to her being in charge of arts and crafts at a youth club which often attracted up to 200 teenagers. She describes how the combination of this role and a BBC show triggered a lifelong interest.

“At that time I used to listen to Pete Murray’s Open House on the radio and one day he interviewed Fraser White, a graphologist. No one could believe how accurate he was. The youth club was a bit rough, so I thought, what about that handwriting? I went to the library for a book. It took three weeks to find one but after reading it I asked the children to show me some writing to see what it told me about them. They loved it!”