Letter from the i editor: Putting names to faces

I cannot believe I am writing this already, but i is fast approaching its first anniversary next month.

We will be one on Wednesday 26 October, and true to our brief history, we are hosting a reader party to celebrate. What’s more, it won’t be in London this time.

Sadly, I have once again failed to persuade the powers-that-be to stump up for a luxury suite at Elland Road, so we have settled on the next best thing: Birmingham. We will be partying at the stylish and appropriately named Ikon Gallery, the second city’s home of contemporary art. The event will run from 7pm to 9pm (-ish) and drinks and nibbles will be served.

You can mingle with some “i names” if you are so minded, but it’s tricky to say yet exactly who we will let out to play for the night — some of us need to stay behind and create the paper. More about that another day, when I will also tell you about the exhibition we will be viewing at the Ikon.

Numbers are limited, so if you are interested in coming, please email us at i@independent.co.uk and put “i party” in the subject field or text 07786 200100 and begin your message with “THEI”. We want to ensure that we have a room full of genuine readers and not just crafty PRs and aspiring journalists. Of course, crafty PRs and aspiring journalists who are also genuine i readers are more than welcome.

I am really looking forward to meeting more of our new reader community. It’s always good to put a face to a name — well apart from stalkers, that is. And for those of you up north and down south who may be feeling a little left out, remember this is only our first birthday. Here’s to many years of i parties to come.