23rd January is National Hand Writing Day. Like all traditions its invented. In this case in 1977 by the US based, Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, presumably to promote the sales of pens.
Judging by social media it has much wider currency than just the US in 2025
Above is an example of Karl Marx’s handwriting which was barely readable. My handwriting is similar although that and the beard are the only direct links with the great North Londoner.
That said I do find myself committing more to pen and paper than I have done for some years. Maybe it is just a certain ennui with constantly looking at screens. Equally it may be that as an historian there is a growing awareness that something not committed to paper but left only in e-form may disappear completely before too long
I’m concerned that hand writing might disappear due to the use of computers and tablets etc. After all it is quite a difficult skill to learn and needs to be practised regularly