W. W. Jacobs

W. W. Jacobs grew up in a working-class family in London, where his father worked as a manager of the South Devon Wharf. His father’s profession would greatly impact Jacobs’ later work, as he earned fame for his sea stories and humor writing. As a young man, Jacobs worked as a clerk for the Savings Bank Department of the General Post Office. During this time, he began writing as a hobby and a way to earn extra money. After being published in several magazines, Jacobs recognized his passion for writing and felt successful enough to quit his job in civil service. Politically conservative, he had a rocky marriage to Agnes Eleanor Williams, with whom he had five children. Throughout his writing career, Jacobs published several short story collections, including Snug Harbor, a massive collection of his work, in 1931, but today he is most well-known for his horror story, The Monkey’s Paw.