“You know full well as I do the value of sisters' affections: There is nothing like it in this world.”
–Charlotte Brontë
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The remarkable Brontë sisters were equally talented in their own right as poets, novelists and pioneering British women writers during the Victorian Era. Their literary works inspired Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Brontë’s biographer – and also influenced the celebrated American woman writer, Louisa May Alcott.
The works of the Brontë sisters, Elizabeth Gaskell and Louisa May Alcott are all part the Quills! Cooperative Game Series.
Edwin Landseer, a family friend of the Brontë family, and a favorite artist of Queen Victoria is thought to have painted their group portrait circa 1843.
"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights
In the Quills! Haworth Edition, players explore the intersecting histories of the Brontë Sisters–through their individual heroines’ challenges and insights.
The Quills! Victorian Edition further contrasts the insights of Elizabeth Gaskell’s heroines, whose biography of Charlotte Brontë inspired Louisa May Alcott.
A unique experience for fans, newbies and educators alike. For 2-4 players, suggested ages 14+.
>>Available @ Marigold Games
“There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.”
–Anne Bronte
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The characters players explore in the Quills! Haworth Edition, are the brazen heroines created by the Brontë sisters–Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Catherine Earnshaw, and Anne’s Helen Huntingdon.
Currer Bell, Charlotte’s pseudonym personae and Elizabeth Gaskell, her biographer, are also featured characters to make the gameplay experience a true celebration of their literary contributions.
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Gamers: Emily Brontë and her sister Anne created the imagined world of ‘Gondal’. We can speculate they created an RPG, with plots, characters, situations and outcomes as a narrative game they played aloud that included managed islands (without a board, cards or rules). While their game notes did not survive, it is referenced in Charlotte Brontë’s writings, and evolved from a game world they created with their brother Branwell. Their playful worlds mirrored England’s history, and included the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
The Brontë sister's creations are not unlike Jane Austen’s satirical 'The History of England' from her juvenilia, written during Napoleon’s era. It is interesting how these classic women writers expressed their worldview as teens in their early writings and gameplay.
The 'Quills Haworth Edition' game set is a tribute to the equally talented Brontë sisters, whose qualities were possibly muses for each other's heroines. Perhaps there’s a little of each sister in their leading characters, making them authentic and unique!
The intersecting herstories of Elizabeth Gaskell, the Brontë Sisters, and Louisa May Alcott–who lived during Queen Victoria’s reign–are all key inspirations for the Quills! Herstory Bespoke Game Series.
The year 2018 marked the bicentennial birthday of Emily Brontë, the bicentennial of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the bicentennial of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, and the sesquicentennial of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
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Queen Victoria of England, 1845, Alexander Melville; Elizabeth Gaskell, 1832, William John Thomson; The Brontë Sisters (Anne, Emily & Charlotte), circa 1834, Patrick Branwell Brontë; and Louisa May Alcott; from Wikimedia Commons. All other photos by Janine Fron ©2018.
"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."
–Emily Brontë
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Cooperative, social, playful and dramatically fun! 2-4 players, suggested ages 14+
Explore the Heroines, Challenges and Insights of the Brönte Sisters, plus Elizabeth Gaskell, Currer Bell, and the central heroines featured in their significant works.
The Quills! Haworth Edition Game Set includes: 1 Set of Instructions, 1 Butterfly Authoress Card, 20 Butterfly Story Cards – 1 Authoress, Heroine, Challenges, & Insights Card for each Character, 60 Game Message Cards, 40 Feather Quill Pens , 5 Petite Ribbon Roses, 1 Lace Trimmed ‘Desk Blotter’ Cotton Play Mat, and 1 Butterfly Muslin Drawstring Storage Sack.
No special assembly required.