With over 16-million visitors per year, the New York Public Library is no doubt a befitting venue to celebrate literacy, and that’s exactly what happened at the 2025 Library Lions gala held earlier this month. There, Louise Erdrich, Daniel Kehlmann, James McBride, James Patterson, Shonda Rhimes, and Bruce Springsteen – who gave a surprise one-man performance – were honored on November 3 for their enduring contributions to the cultural landscape. The candle-lit Rose Main Reading Room, in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, proved an inspiring and historic backdrop for the annual fundraiser, which helps support the library’s collections, programs, and services at its 92 locations. But authorship was clearly at the heart of the star-studded milieu, whether the medium was books, film, music, or as in the case of event sponsor Montblanc, the tools that often animate each.
Attendees – among them Joyce Carol Oates, Martha Stewart, and Spike Lee – graced the space, and each guest was warmly welcomed by the library’s Chair of the Board of Trustees, Abby Milstein. She was followed at the podium by NYPL President Anthony Marx, who eloquently acknowledged the library as a locus for “anyone and everyone seeking information, solace, and inspiration,” further commending it as a place “where ideas flourish, connections are made, and learning thrives.”
Montblanc Champions Art of Writing
As a champion of the art of writing since its founding in 1906, German pen maker Montblanc has inspired literacy throughout the decades via its vast product catalog (which has over the years grown to include leather goods, watches, and more) and its thoughtful outreach, such as this collaboration with the New York Public Library. Montblanc has been a lead patron of the NYPL’s youth programs since 2023, fulfilling a program it conceived in 2022.
Sylvain Costof, President Montblanc Americas, explained the association, “It’s an important partnership and reflects the maison’s commitment to inspire future generations about the power of writing.” The NYPL After School program, for example, is a free drop-in for kids ages 6–12, and summer programs extend the opportunity for children to experience the fun and inimitable joy of writing by hand in an all-too-digital world. “We have a shared mission to develop a pen-to-paper concept with the youth community, helping them to craft their own stories,” Costof told me during a recent telephone conversation.
Other initiatives, such as a years-long partnership with UNICEF to empower children through education, its Inspire Writing series, the educational and entertaining Montblanc Haus museum adjacent to company headquarters in Hamburg, and various global campaigns such as its latest Let’s Write in collaboration with Wes Anderson, point to Montblanc’s mission of promoting creativity through writing. Its pens, grounded in this spirit, feature handmade fountain pen nibs, artisanal craftsmanship, and limited edition collections like the annual Writers Edition, which lauds great authors who have “expanded our literary horizons.”
Costof summed up the unique relationship between man and pen, pen and medium: “I think Montblanc creates more than beautiful writing instruments. I think we create lifetime companions that inspire us and help support emotion. This is far beyond craftsmanship. It is creativity far beyond the object.” And as for the future? He references Montblanc and the New York Public Library, perhaps as a charge for all. “Be a contributor.”