Power of the pen

AS WE painstakingly practised our cursive longhand in the gridded pages of an exercise book in primary school, little did we know that penmanship would figure so little in our future. These days, while texting or snapping a selfie with one hand comes as easily as breathing, filling out a form or writing a Christmas card often feels downright laborious. Due to a complete lack of practice, most grown-up scrawls look terribly embarrassing next to the carefully formed script of a nine-year-old.

However, old-fashioned writing - and even typewriting, has been undergoing a renaissance, as a growing community begins to rediscover the power of communicating through more traditional implements.

"There is just so much technology can convey in terms of emotions," says Andreas Boesch, managing director of Montblanc South-east Asia. "Writing is the language of thought. The importance of putting pen to paper, allowing generations to record experiences and exciting discoveries as well as fostering a deeper emotional connection should be pre…