Children's Author Brings Book to Life Using Historical Smells

Picture: Author Susan Brownrigg stands with Ormskirk School with summer school students, holding a pirate Aroma Cube!

Susan Brownrigg, author of Kintana and the Captain's Curse, uses AromaPrime's fantastical smells ('Pirate Ship', 'Rainforest', 'Rum Barrel' and 'Sun, Sand & Coconut') to give pupils a fragrant sense of what life as a pirate was like in the 1700s.

Susan got in touch with us to source authentic historical smells which could have come straight from the pages of her new book. Using hand-held Aroma Cubes, which are kept inside mysterious pirate boxes, pupils at Susan's school visits can engage with history in a new way by sniffing the incredibly life-like smells.

"I first discovered AromaPrime smell cubes when I worked in heritage education and knew they are a fun way for children to imagine the past," Susan says. "When I became a published author, I couldn't wait to buy my own set to use on school visits. I love seeing the children's reaction when they smell the rather stinky 'Pirate Ship' fragrance! While the 'Sun, Sand & Coconut' helps them envisage what it is like on Nosy Boraha, the Madagascan island where my adventure story is set. The smell cubes are a fantastic way for children to think about how they can use their senses in creating their own stories."

The aim is not only to spark pupils' imaginations as they use their noses to enter a world of fiction, but it is also to encourage them to think about history in a sensory way. AromaPrime's team works with historical experts and even sniffs real artefacts to get their smells spot-on. It's not unusual for our lab to receive otter poo, sheep fat and even jaguar urine in the post for reference!

Try your own set of Aroma Cubes to bring your topic to life for group sessions!