Early Life
Brian Jacques (pronounced 'jakes') was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. He grew up in the District of Kirkdale close to the Liverpool docks, where he attended St. John's R.C. School.

"My favourite teacher was Mr. Austin Thomas. He looked like Lee Marvin. Big Man. A Captain in World War II. He came to school on a big push bike with the haversack on back. He was a man's man. Always fair. I was fourteen at the time when Mr. Thomas introduced the class to poetry and Greek literature. It was because of him, I saved seven shillings and sixpence to buy The Iliad and The Odyssey at this dusty used book shop."

Brian's interest in poetry soon extended to Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Goldsmith. Also at an early age, Brian explored adventure stories from authors such as:

• Daniel Defoe
• Sir Henry Rider Haggard
• Arthur Conan Doyle
• Sir Thomas Malory
• Robert Michael Ballantyne
• Robert Louis Stevenson
• Edgar Rice Burroughs
• Kenneth Grahame

Like many of his generation Brian finished school early, at the age of fifteen. Though he frequented the local Public Library to continue his love of reading, he was very soon employed as a Manual Labourer. He spent time as as a railway fireman, a longshoreman, a long-distance truck driver, a bus driver, a postmaster, and a stand-up entertainer.

Brians written work has taken many forms, but he began his writing career in earnest as a playwright. He won a long term Residency at the renowned Everyman Theatre where his first play "Brown Bitter", Wet Nellies and Scouse" was to be performed.

It was also at the Everyman where Brian met Alan Durband, one of the Theatre?s co-founders and an Educationalist of some repute. Durband had previously taught English at the Liverpool Institute to the young Paul McCartney of Beatles fame. He was to become pivotal to the fortunes of Brian, then a fledgling writer.

The Start of Redwall

Brian wrote Redwall for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool, where as a truck driver, he delivered milk. In appreciation of his first audience, he made his style of writing as descriptive as possible, "painting pictures with words" as he termed it, hoping the schoolchildren could engage with his tales in their imaginations. He was to become a long term friend and supporter of the school, serving as a board member and raising funds through a variety of charitable events.

Jacques' writing gained acclaim when his friend Alan Durband read Redwall, and unbeknownst to Brian showed it to his own publisher in London, declaring "This is the finest children's tale I've ever read, and you'd be foolish not to publish it". This event led to a contract for the first five books in the Redwall series, and a prominent dedication to Alan in the first of several Redwall books.

Later Life
Aside from his writing, Brian also ran a weekly radio show on BBC Radio Merseyside, until October 2006, where he shared his love of music, playing an eclectic mix of Folk, Classical and his favourite Operatic Arias.

During his spare time, Brian enjoyed walking his dog 'Teddy', a white West Highland Terrier, and completing crossword puzzles. He would also enjoy reading the works of Mario Puzo, Damon Runyon, Richard Condon, Larry McMurty, and P.G. Wodehouse.

Brian Jacques, Author and well-loved son of the City of Liverpool, sadly passed away on the 5th February 2011.