254 Hub cities in 47 countries had hosted the Pelikan Hub in 2024. And this year, conventional logic says, it would have surpassed the number. Even on conservative estimates, it is huge, considering the facts that they are fountain pen, ink, and paper aficionado “meets” that are mostly organised by local hobbyists, and that Pelikan uses the platform to launch their “Ink of the Year,” sample bottles of which are presented to all participants. If the sheer logistics and geographical spread involved are considered, it is mindboggling. Especially as it is all done for the love of fountain pens and ink, mostly considered antediluvian in popular perception, anachronistic even.
Kolkata has been hosting two Pelikan Hubs for the last couple of years – the first, older, and more popular in terms of attendance, is held in the Esplanade region, while the second is held in the Rajarhat, New Town region on the eastern fringes of the city. The Rajarhat Hub is well-knit, a fraternity of friends sharing a common interest, and I personally feel, is more in tune with the overall spirit of the event. I was invited to attend this hub in its inaugural year and have been religiously attending ever since, liking it more with each passing year.
Dr Adhish Basu is the hub master, who is ably assisted by Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay, in the conduct of the event. The duo not only did an excellent job in organising the hub-meet, but also paid for the venue and the small eats that were served there, to the wonder of the participants. A big “thank you” to the two of them. May the Ink be with you!
The biggest surprise, and a welcome one at that, was the participation of Sashwat Mohapatra and Nikita Pati, who had travelled all the way from Guwahati, Assam, to participate. Sashwat had brought his collection of Pelikan fountain pens along, pens that were tested, lusted after, and talked about. Nikita, it will not be out of place to mention here, makes excellent hand-stitched notebooks that incorporate the now-discontinued Tomoe River paper, and is also a serious fountain pen enthusiast.
The seniormost attendee was Reverand Jyoti Chakravorty, who had travelled all the way from Rishra, overcoming many health challenges, while the youngest was Debajyoti Biswas, a student. The common thread that tied them together was their undiluted love for pens and exceptional knowledge about, among others, Pelikan pens and inks. With such connoisseurs on both ends of the age gap, the group was a lively one that talked pens for miles, shared experiences, and told tales that were enjoyed by all – the meet making up in quality what some may point out as a gap in quantity.
Some of the attendees however, felt otherwise – that the number of participants, just shy of a quarter of a hundred, was ideal: small enough for interpersonal conversations and the fostering of camaraderie, for the greater cause of writing and collecting!
