“Dear Father Christmas … ” Benedict Cumberbatch’s letter to Saint Nick begins. “It’s not for us to turn around and plead for your help with the environment, the migrant crisis, the NHS, education, food banks, human rights, fundamentalism and wars. Though God knows we need all the help we can get … you are for the children. Children who need some magic in a world where the borders between innocence and responsibility, playful imagination and cold, adult obstacles are continually shrinking. And this is what I’d like to ask you to help with. A little more time for those children to be children.”

The British actor’s festive plea is one of several celebrity letters published by Letters Live on Monday, to mark both National Letter Writing Day on 7 December, and their announcement of its 2016 programme. Letters Live is a now annual “celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence” started by independent publisher Canongate, after the success of Shaun Usher’s bestselling book Letters of Note.

Each year, audiences flock to hear performers read letters from famous persons and historical moments; in the 2015 run, letters from individuals including David Bowie, Marge Simpson, Gandhi, Elvis Presley, Richard Burton and Che Guevara were read by performers including Sir Ian McKellen, Kylie Minogue, Russell Brand, Caitlin Moran, Tom Hiddleston, Sally Hawkins, Sir Ben Kingsley and Cumberbatch himself.

The latter has a long history of performing in the Letters Live events, and in 2015, film production company SunnyMarch, which is part-owned by Cumberbatch, partnered with Letters Live to make the celebrity readings available to watch online.

Continuing his letter, Cumberbatch requests Father Christmas distract children “from the realities of a world gone mad so that they can laugh with their breath rather than sob with their tears. Especially those caring for family members, or suffering illness, hunger or poverty. Especially those hiding in buildings as bombs rain down, or being handed shaking with fear or cold into a boat to escape environmental disaster or war. Please help to light up their worlds with a moment of joy and hope.

“I guess I’ve done exactly what I said I wouldn’t ... Asked you to help with adult problems and solve some of the greatest worries we have for our children.” Cumberbatch finishes by promising “extra port and mince pies” and with a PS: “Please could I have that lightsaber now?”

The actor is not the only big name to request Santa go beyond his usual remit of toys and start tinkering in politics. “Perhaps this year you would consider not giving any presents to oil company executives and the politicians whose influence they buy?” Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke writes in his letter to Kris Kringle, “And for me, some reading glasses ... the blue ones.”

Musician Annie Lennox requests assistance for the world’s refugees. “Could you ensure that entire generations aren’t forced to flee their homes in cities, towns and villages in war-torn countries from Syria to Nigeria because they are being continuously bombed, burned and brutalized at every turn ... could you very kindly put some sanity and compassion in the hearts of the criminal profiteers of hatred, bloodshed and warfare? Thank you Santa … I truly wish you existed for grown ups.”

Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti requests “whoever is reading to tweak the consciences of the powerful so as to empower the vulnerable ... save our Human Rights Act”, while comedian turned political philosopher Russell Brand voices his concern “about the net human gain from a jolly celestial benefactor granting consumer goods”, but finds time to thank Santa for “Jeremy Corbyn, Charlotte Church and the new series of Peep Show”.

In the spirit of the year in which Hollywood began discussing gender equality more openly, actor Thandie Newton asks for some spotlight for Mrs Claus. “I know she’s the force that keeps you full of beans. You wouldn’t be so jolly, energetic and kind without the presence of a woman in your life,” she writes. “She must be FANTASTIC. You must love her to bits. You should come too, to share the load, but it would be an enormous inspiration for all of us to feel her awesomeness!”

The first 2016 Letters Live shows are six evening shows, a matinee and a family special in March, held at the Freemasons’ Hall in London’s Covent Garden. Another 25 to 30 dates in 2016 have yet to be announced.

Letters Live has a history of supporting UK literacy initiatives, including author Nick Hornby’s Ministry of Stories, a creative writing centre in east London for young people aged 8-18; and First Story, an outreach literacy project founded by writer William Fiennes and the Reading Agency. Earlier this year, Letters Live raised over $350,000 for author Dave Eggers’ literacy charity 826LA.

• All of the above letters and the 2016 Letters Live programme are available to read on the Letters Live website.