Biography
The Books
Brian Jacques was the well-known writer of the popular Redwall series, consisting of over 20 books. He wrote fiction for children and young adults centering on fantasy and adventure. The books in his best selling series centered around the fictional world of Mossflower and its surrounding regions which were inhabited by talking woodland creatures like Mice, Squirrels, and Badgers. Tens of millions of copies have been sold around the world, and they have been translated into 29 languages. These books have captivated children since 1986.
Early Life
Brian Jacques was born on June 15, 1939 in Liverpool, England. He grew up in the area near the Liverpool docks, attending school at St. John's- a local school. His love for writing grew as he attended school. At the age of ten he was tasked to write a story about animals, the very topic he would later continue. The teacher, reading his story, was convinced that no ten year old could write that well and writ Brian off as a liar and a cheater. Later on he would be taught by other teachers, many of whom were convinced he would one day be a writer. After he finished school at the age of fifteen he became a sailor, traveling to many distant ports. Later he returned to Liverpool and worked a string of odd jobs before finding his passion for writing children's books.
Personal Life
Sadly, Brian Jacques passed away on February 5th 2011, shortly after the final book of the series had been written. A wife, Maureen Jacques and two grown sons who still reside in Liverpool, England survive him. In his free time he enjoyed walking his dog, Teddy, a white West Highland Terrier. He was known by his family for cooking an excellent version of his favorite food, spaghetti and meatballs. He was also a very old fashioned man, preferring to use a typewriter than a computer most times, and disliked television and the Internet. Many of the animal characters in his books are based off of real people in his lives, from family to friend; to people he simply met in his travels. He even based one character after himself! He left behind a permanent mark on the world, leaving stories for children to read countless years from now.