BIO

Author Brian Jacques (pronounced "jakes") was born on June 15, 1939 in Liverpool, England.

He grew up in Liverpool, attending St. John's School, and reading and writing adventure stories and tales about animals. In fact, when Jacques was 10, he turned in an animal story that his teacher thought was too good to have been written by a boy. Unfortunately, the teacher never believed that Jacques was really the author and he was punished for plagiarism (copying work that is not your own).

Jacques finished his schooling at the age of 15 and began a series of jobs that included positions as: a longshoreman, a bus driver, a truck driver, a boxer, a postmaster, a stand-up comic, and a folk singer.

Through all his different career paths, Jacques never stopped writing. He has written poetry, music, and stage plays. But the writing that really put him on the map, the book REDWALL, first started out as a story he crafted to entertain the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind. He knew the children because one of his many jobs was delivering milk, and the school was on his route.

By chance, one of Jacques's favorite childhood English teachers, who had become a friend, Alan Durband (the book THE BELLMAKER is dedicated to him), thought the Redwall story was so good that he submitted it to a book publisher (and Jacques didn't even know!). That submission quickly earned Jacques a contract for the first five books about Redwall Abbey and the peaceful mice, moles and other creatures who defend the Abbey against evil rats and other predators. Jacques has written more than 12 books in the saga and shows no sign of slowing down. You can find reviews of the titles in our Redwall feature.

These days Jacques still lives in Liverpool with his dog Teddy; his two grown sons and a granddaughter, Jade, also live in town. Jacques hosts a weekly comedy-opera music radio show called Jakestown for BBC Radio and continues to imagine new stories for the colorful world of Redwall Abbey and the Mossflower Wood.

    --- Shannon Maughan

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INTERVIEW

February 2004

Brian Jacques (pronounced "Jakes") is the popular British author of the Redwall books.

But REDWALL --- the first adventure about the brave mice of Redwall Abbey and their war against wicked rats --- was never intended to be a book. "I wrote the story as a read-aloud for blind children at a school nearby," he says. "I'd even get dressed up as Father Christmas in me cowboy boots and me big ten gallon hat to do it."

Two of Jacques' friends, the late Alan Durban and Willie Russell are the ones who suggested that he publish the stories and Jacques thought it was a great idea. When the first book was actually published he was very happy. "Wouldn't you be?" he says. "I was pleased, overjoyed. But I didn't think it was going to be anything huge. I already had seven small books of poetry published, so I was no stranger to publishing. I thought nice --- but small. Then it just sort of grew."  

Since then, he's written 10 books about Matthias, Martin the Warrior and the other creatures of Mossflower Wood. And when he isn't writing, Jacques also hosts a radio progam called "Jakestown" in Liverpool, England.  

But no matter how busy he is with his two careers, he always has time for kids. Children love Jacques. And Jacques loves children. "I get hundreds, maybe thousands of letters," he says."We answer them all. And I always add a personal P.S. and sign them all. But I like to get out and meet the readers --- the kids who have put me where I am today."

Some of Jacques' favorite fans live in the United States. "Redwall has been better received in the States than anywhere else in the world," he says. "It's captured the imaginations of children so vividly there. And in the States, children approach me with a kind of reverence."

One of Jacques' favorite memories was meeting eight-year-old Josh from Illinois. "I was in Illinois doing a festival in St. Charles. I was signing books the night before in a library when this little dot of a fella comes up to me. I said, what's your name lad? He said, 'I'm Josh, sir. And you'll be coming to my school tomorrow.' I said, Josh, that will be very nice. And he replied, 'I am to be your escort.'  I said, will you take care of me Josh? And Josh very seriously answered, 'Sir, I will protect you with my life.'"

Kids often ask Jacques if he is like any of the characters in his books. "Yes," he says. "In the book MOSSFLOWER, there is a little mouse called Gonff, the prince of mouse thieves. He's a good thief, full of fun, with a good heart. Gonff is probably most like me --- when I was a child. A survivor, that's what he is. And I was a survivor too."

Jacques did survive and went on to create a wonderful library of work. As of February 1998, there are ten novels in the series --- REDWALL, MOSSFLOWER, MATTIMEO, MARIEL OF REDWALL, SALAMANDASTRON, MARTIN THE WARRIOR, THE BELLMAKER, OUTCAST OF REDWALL, THE PEARLS OF LUTRA, and THE LONG PATROL. Fans might also want to check out the delicious-looking picture book, THE GREAT REDWALL FEAST.

The REDWALL MAP book lets kids explore the territory and landmarks of Redwall in lushly illustrated pull-out maps. There's also a special Redwall Riddler trivia and puzzle section-for fun.

Jacques also has two more Redwall books in the works. "MARLFOX is due for release next year," he says. "And I think the LEGEND OF LUKE will be next, because people are always asking me what happened to Luke (Martin the Warrior's dad) and I am beginning to wonder myself."  

Even a Redwall animated television series is in the works and maybe a full-length movie, too, based on MARTIN THE WARRIOR.

When people ask Jacques if he has any advice for kids, this is what he says: "Be good mice, don't be dirty rats. Remember, television can't take you places the way books can. So read, read, read." And for many intermediate readers, Redwall is the perfect place to start.

© Copyright 2004, Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group. All rights reserved.

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