# W. Jacobs

## Biography

William Wymark Jacobs was born in London, England, on September 8, 1863. Growing up near the bustling Thames docks, where his father managed a wharf, provided a rich backdrop for much of his later fiction. He began his professional life as a clerk at the Post Office Savings Bank in 1879, a position he found unstimulating and which prompted him to start writing for amusement.

Jacobs gained recognition for his humorous tales of sailors and dockside life, marked by clever dialogue and intricate plots. His first collection, *Many Cargoes*, published in 1896, achieved popular success, allowing him to leave his clerical job in 1899 to dedicate himself entirely to writing. While much of his output was comedic, he is most enduringly remembered for his chilling supernatural short story, "The Monkey's Paw," published in 1902. Jacobs married Agnes Eleanor Williams in 1900 and they had five children. He passed away on September 1, 1943.

## Books

- [The Monkey's Paw: The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 2.](https://samolit.com/books/95965)