Trivia

His last name is pronounced jakes.

He began his professional writing career as a playwright. He wrote three plays that were performed at the Everyman theater in Liverpool: "Brown Bitter," "Scouse," and "Wet Nellies." One of the child actors performing in those plays was Craig Charles, who later starred in the hit British TV series Red Dwarf (1988).

Has just released his 16th Redwall novel, Loamhedge, in hardback edition. (October 2003)