Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England, on 15 June 1939 to James (a truck driver) and Ellen. He grew up in the area of the Liverpool docks. He is known as Brian because both his father and one of his brothers are also called James. His father loved literature, and passed it to him, having him read stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Jacques showed a knack for writing at an early age. At age 10, he was given an assignment of writing a story about animals, and he wrote about a bird that cleaned a crocodile's teeth. His teacher could not believe that anyone could write that well when they were only 10 years old. He was called a liar for refusing to say he copied the story. He had always loved to write, but it was only then that he realized he had a talent for writing.

He attended St. John's private school until the age of 15 when he left school (as was the tradition at the time) and set out to find adventure as a sea merchant sailor. His bookRedwall was written for the children of the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind, whom he refers to as his "special friends". He first met them when he delivered milk there as a truck driver. He began to spend time with the children, and eventually began to write stories for them. This accounts for the very descriptive style of the novel and the ones to follow.

His work gained acclaim when Alan Durband, a friend (who also taught Paul McCartney and George Harrison), showed it to his (Durband's) own publisher without telling Jacques. Durband told his publishers: "This is the finest children's tale I've ever read, and you'd be foolish not to publish it". Soon after, Jacques was summoned to London to meet with the publishers, who gave him a contract to write the next five books in the series.

Jacques has said that the characters in his stories are based on people he has encountered. He based Gonff, the self-proclaimed "Prince of Mousethieves", on himself when he was a young boy hanging around the docks of Liverpool. Mariel is based on his granddaughter. Constance the Badgermum is based on his grandmother. Other characters are a combination of many of the people he has met in his travels.

His novels have sold more than twenty million copies worldwide and have been published in twenty-eight languages.

Until recently, Jacques hosted a radio show called Jakestown on BBC Radio Merseyside. In June 2005, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Liverpool.

Redwall series

• Redwall (1986)
• Mossflower (1988)
• Mattimeo (1989)
• Mariel of Redwall (1991)
• Salamandastron (1992)
• Martin the Warrior (1993)
• The Bellmaker (1994)
• Outcast of Redwall (1995)
• The Pearls of Lutra (1996)
• The Long Patrol (1997)
• Marlfox (1998)
• The Legend of Luke (1999)
• Lord Brocktree (2000)
• The Taggerung (2001)
• Triss (2002)
• Loamhedge (2003)
• Rakkety Tam (2004)
• High Rhulain (2005)
• Eulalia! (2007)
• Doomwyte (2008)
• The Sable Quean (2010)
• The Rogue Crew (2011)

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series

• Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (2001)
• The Angel's Command (2003)
• Voyage of Slaves (2006)

Tribes of Redwall series

• Tribes of Redwall Badgers (2001)
• Tribes of Redwall Otters (2001)
• Tribes of Redwall Mice (2002)
• Tribes of Redwall Squirrels (2003)
• Tribes of Redwall Hares (2006)

Miscellaneous Redwall books

• The Great Redwall Feast (1996)
• Redwall Map & Riddler (1997)
• Redwall Friend & Foe (2000)
• A Redwall Winter's Tale (2003)
• The Redwall Cookbook (2005)

Urso Brunov

Recently, Brian Jacques has been working with illustrator Alexi Natchev on a series of short picture books:

• Urso Brunov, Little Father of All Bears (2003)
• Urso Brunov and the White Emperor (2008)

Other works

• Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales (1991)
• The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns (2004)