20 Oct

Why I Write

Writing is a very personal thing. Whether you write professionally, or as a hobby or just once in a blue moon. Whether you write to find some sanity in a hectic world, to organise, or to communicate with your loved ones. Whether you love or hate your handwriting.

Whether you have a favourite pen, a favourite ink colour, a favourite journal, or a favourite spot to set pen to paper and write. It’s all unique to you. Every October 20th, the National Day of Writing celebrates the joys of writing in…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner and tagged handwriting, writing, National Day of Writing, Why I Write on October 20, 2017 by Gemma Plumbridge.

07 Feb

How to Write a Sonnet

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Nothing says ‘I Love You’ more than the handwritten word, so this Valentine’s Day Pen Heaven have dipped their quill in ink to present their top tips on how to write a (love) Sonnet. Around for centuries, the Sonnet originated in Italy (known as a

Petrarchan sonnet) and follows a strict rhyme scheme of fourteen lines, usually offering two sides that form the entirety of an ‘argument’. Traditionally written in iambic pentameter the first known sonnets in English were written by Sir Thomas…

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This entry was posted in Authors' Corner on February 7, 2017 by David Cole.

31 Jan

Stay Motivated with the Help of Pen & Paper

As January comes to an end, how many of those resolutions have already been dropped and/ or broken? With the excitement of the new year dwindling as normal practice resumes, Pen Heaven have put their finest nib to paper to offer some failsafe ways to

stay motivated and on-track throughout the coming months.  Organise your time efficiently with a diary Grab a day-to-page diary and manage those busy days by breaking your time down into 1 hour segments. Ensure pressing tasks and emails are sent…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner on January 31, 2017 by David Cole.

21 Oct

My First Pen Pal

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To celebrate all things handwritten, Pen Heaven decided to see if the beloved pen pal still exists in today’s tech driven world.  The perfect, age-old means of communication for getting to know someone, learning more about their culture and country, pen

pals were also very popular in schools in the 60s thru to the 80s – it was a way of encouraging the art of handwriting, whilst developing reading skills and learning a new language. Catering to all ages and nationalities, we asked some long standing…

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This entry was posted in Stationery Addicts, Handwriting, Authors' Corner and tagged handwriting, pen pal on October 21, 2016 by David Cole.

06 Jul

Q&A with Ed Hutchings: Inside a Travel Writer's Journal

We recently caught up with Travel Media Awards 2015 finalist and keen Ornithologist, Ed Hutchings, to find out what he journals whilst looking for his favourite raptor species. Ed is also a regular contributor to Birdwatch, Bird Watching, Discover Britain,

Hertfordshire Life, Nature's Home, Nature Travel Network and The Telegraph, and is usually just one step away from another adventure. You travel a lot for work and pleasure, so must have plenty of top tips for keeping notes and capturing those…

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This entry was posted in Authors' Corner and tagged travel, journalism on July 6, 2016 by David Cole.

01 Dec

Christmas Card Etiquette

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Christmas is all about tradition and what better way to articulate your well wishes to your nearest and dearest over the holiday season than with a classic handwritten card. Having been the art of expression and celebration since its first use back in

1843, the humble card holds a lot more substance than its modern day electronic counterparts. A personally versed card shows gratitude and friendship, it tells someone you care and are thinking of them and it can be hung on the tree or given pride of…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner and tagged christmas cards on December 1, 2015 by David Cole.

26 Oct

Notes on Great Note-Taking

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Note taking is a vital life skill most of use throughout our lives, from school to university and work. Perhaps you have fond memories of brightly coloured highlighters, or not so fond ones of scribbling the few discernible words you could gather from your

professor. Either way, notes are an essential tool in helping us make sense of the information we are presented with, which we can then remember at a later date. Good notes make utter sense when you return to them, with enough impact to be memorable.…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner, Education and tagged handwriting, notes on October 26, 2015 by David Cole.

20 Jul

Handwritten letters which made history

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Letters have been playing a crucial part in history for thousands of years. The first ever handwritten letter was thought to have been sent by the Persian Queen Atossa in around 500 BC, according to the ancient historian Hellanicus. Their popularity

as a way of sending messages grew as more people became literate. Although electronic forms of communication have now largely taken over from the handwritten letter, it still holds a place close to our hearts. Research carried out by Pen Heaven found…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner and tagged handwriting, letters on July 20, 2015 by David Cole.

06 Jul

Why I’ll never give up my notebook and pen

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Catherine Ball is a freelance journalist and copywriter with more than 10 years’ experience working for regional daily newspapers in the UK. As part of Pen Heaven’s Handwriting Matters campaign, she explains why she’ll never swap pen and paper for

modern technology. For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed writing. I love the feel of putting pen to paper and making a lasting mark. For me writing isn’t just about conveying ideas, I enjoy the physical act of getting my thoughts out of…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner on July 6, 2015 by David Cole.

26 May

Has the UK Lost its Inner Bridget Jones?

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For some the ritual of writing in a diary is as common place as getting dressed in the mornings or singing carols at Christmas, but has the UK lost its love affair with writing in a diary? With the preponderance of Twitter, blogs, vlogs, smart-phones et

al, have we simply forgotten the value of the Diary? Pen Heaven Survey Results: Does the UK still keep a Diary? We surveyed 500 people from across United Kingdom, to find out their diary writing habits, and the outcome was a shock to all.    Men…

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This entry was posted in Handwriting, Authors' Corner on May 26, 2015 by David Cole.