Montblanc’s latest Writers Edition honours Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859) Grimm, known as the Brothers Grimm (All photos: Montblanc)
With its origins in the culture of writing, Montblanc champions the transformative power of literature and celebrates the creativity and artistry of writers. One collection in particular — Montblanc Writers Edition — pays special tribute to the authors who have had a significant imprint on culture. Montblanc’s latest Writers Edition honours Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859) Grimm, known as the Brothers Grimm.
The German academics, philologists, lexicographers and authors collected and published folklore during the 19th century, and popularised traditional oral tales such as Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Their classic collection, Children’s and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), was published in two volumes — the first in 1812 and the second, 1815.
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Each of the four editions is shaped like a wooden wandering stick as a reference to the tradition of wandering storytellers travelling from village to village to tell stories. The Brothers Grimm’s passion for language and research into linguistic “roots” is reflected in the unusual shape of the clip — look at it from the front and it appears as a gnarly root but when turned sideways, it reveals the facial profile of the Brothers Grimm.
The cap ring on each writing instrument is engraved with the famous words “ES WAR EINMAL...” or “Once Upon a Time”. Every nib features burning flames symbolic of the fires around which children sat to listen to fairy tales. Each of the four editions includes the title of the brothers’ first publication, Kinder- und Hausmärchen on the cone, as well as their number in the book.
This article first appeared on July 11, 2022 in The Edge Malaysia.
