Council approves giant pen sculpture in Bournemouth Town Square

BCP Council has approved plans for a three-metre-tall sculpture of a ballpoint pen to be installed in the heart of Bournemouth Town Centre.

The giant sculpture, commissioned by the Bournemouth Writing Festival, will be unveiled during this year’s festival, which takes place from 24th to 26th April. Ticket sales indicate that hundreds of writers, authors and writing professionals from across the UK and beyond will be drawn into Bournemouth to take part in over 100 free and ticketed writing events and activities over the three days.

Positioned as a new landmark within the town centre, the ballpoint pen is a contemporary reflection of Bournemouth’s long-standing connections with literature, creativity and storytelling. The permanent structure will be a font of literary knowledge: the names of internationally celebrated storytellers associated with the town - including Mary Shelley, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Louis Stevenson and Max Bygraves – will be etched onto the pen with invisible ink.

A BCP spokesperson said the installation has been carefully considered prior to granting planning permission, and was, “not just an idea scribbled on the back of an envelope, but forms part of a wider commitment to cultural placemaking and public art. We considered several forms for this installation including a fountain and a sword, but felt the pen was mightier.”

One unexpected detail is the material used to represent the pen’s ink reservoir. According to those involved in the commission, the ink has been sustainably sourced from organic squid in Poole Harbour, a decision said to acknowledge Bournemouth’s coastal setting as well as its environmentally friendly creative ethos.

Artistically crafted into the sculpture are the letters BIC. This deliberately plays with an ambiguity of meanings reflecting post-modernist literature, and can be taken to refer to the Bournemouth International Centre, or the famous pen manufacturer.

Dominic Wong, Festival Director of the Bournemouth Writing Festival, which partly funded the artwork, welcomed the council’s decision to approve the installation, describing the sculpture as “a quietly confident addition to the town that won’t be rubbed out any time soon.”

“Bournemouth has always attracted writers, thinkers and storytellers,” he said. “This sculpture marks the town as a place where creativity matters. If it gives people a nib of an idea, sparks conversation or encourages someone to write a few words during the festival weekend, then it’s doing exactly what it should.”

Members of the public will be advised not to climb on the installation, lean on it or attempt to sign anything with it.

“This piece celebrates Bournemouth’s literary heritage while creating a distinctive talking point within the town centre. It is intended to be bold, italic and underlines the talent we have in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP),” said Director of Sculptures at BCP Council, Ms A Fools.

Further details, including precise positioning and unveiling timings, are expected to be booked in closer to the festival.

Photo mock-up credit: James Bridle and the Bournemouth Writing Festival.