The 1st India Pen Show slated to be held on the 2nd and 3rd of February 2019 promises to be a spectacle of hitherto unseen proportions. For one, the show will celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of poet and fountain pen aficionado Kaifi Azmi, among other things, with the launch of a limited edition, fountain pen – of which only a hundred pieces will be made. Twenty such pens will be given to super achievers as a mark of respect. The list of recipients includes names like Javed Akhtar, Baba Azmi, Gulzaar, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Mahesh Bhatt, Naresh Goel, Pritish Nandi, Amair Khan and Amitabh Bachchan!
An Exhibition of fountain pens is on the offing spread over 4000 sq feet, where 46 table spaces have already been booked by a virtual who’s who from the world of pen turning. Another 4000 sq feet has been designated for a variety of activities that are aimed, not only at the hardcore pen collectors, but also at the public at large who want to experience the excitement of putting pen on paper.
Robert Oster, Monteverde and Krishna Inks – each an acknowledged name in its own right – have joined the organisers to showcase their inks, whose more than seventy hues will match all the colours of the rainbow many times more. Visitors will be encouraged to sample their products, fill up the barrels and shoot.
Tables are also being arranged where fountain pen experts will explain the evolution and function of the different filling systems that make the heart and the soul of the fountain pen to visitors wanting to understand the technicalities involved.
The organisers have also decided to set up photo booths – one that will recreate the ambience of the Late Kaifi Azmi’s study, where visitors can take their photographs taken. Post Cards – nostalgia for some and novelty for others, will also be made available to visitors for writing to their loved ones. Those who so wish, can also have their messages written by professional calligraphers. As a gesture to mark the occasion, all cards will be posted by the organisers. The event christened “Write a letter, Say it better” has seemingly touched a raw nerve of the cognoscenti already.
Round the clock calligraphy workshops are also on the anvil – workshops, where not only can the participants feel the writing instruments of yore but will also learn the intricacies and the different styles of fine writing.
In keeping with the universality of the fountain pen which is also the most potent symbol against all forms of discrimination, the show will also feature a special section for children, where all arrangements will be made to pander to their needs.
One of the key high points of the show promises to be the conducted tour of the entire show to be led by none other than fountain pen maestro Yusuf Mansoor, who will take the visitors around the show and explain everything that makes the noble art of writing with a fountain pen, also among the most romantic of activities.
Special workshops for children have also been arranged to help them take their first faltering steps into the world of fountain pens and calligraphy.
The 1st India Pen Show is already a hit if the participation of global brands is any indicator. The Indian arm of Kaweco pen company – established in 1883 in Germany and one of the biggest names in the world ever since has not only confirmed participation but has also joined the organisers as a co-sponsor to the event. William Penn, who straddles the writing instrument and accessories space with its 30 plus brick and mortar stores and overwhelming web presence has lent its considerable clout to the show as the presenting partner. Krishna Pens, Vasani’s pen gallery, Constellations 88, Magna Carta, Click, penworld.com, Venus traders, Livtek India and Arham (importers of TWSBI pens) have all joined the bandwagon in various capacities, which alone is enough to spell success. www.inkedhappiness.com is the media partner of the event, while OYO rooms is the designated travel partner.
The Show is Conceptualized, designed, organized and hosted by Constellations88 and Magna Carta.
For more information: www.theindiapenshow.com