W. W. Jacobs

William Wymark Jacobs (1863–1943) was an English author of short stories. He is now best remembered for his macabre tale "The Monkey's Paw" (published 1901 in the collection of short stories "The Lady of the Barge "). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were "men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage" said Punch magazine, reviewing his first collection of stories, "Many Cargoes " in 1896, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.

Many Cargoes was followed by the novel "The Skipper's Wooing " in 1897, and another collection of short stories, Sea Urchins (1898) set the seal on his popularity. Among his other titles are "Captains All ", "Sailors' Knots ", and "Night Watches ". The title of the last perhaps reflects the popularity of perhaps his most enduring character: the night-watchman on the wharf in Wapping, recounting the preposterous adventures of his acquaintances Ginger Dick, Sam Small, and Peter Russett. These three characters, pockets full after a long voyage, would take lodgings together determined to enjoy a long spell ashore; but the crafty inhabitants of dockland London would soon relieve them of their funds, assisted by the sailors' own fecklessness and credulity. Jacobs showed a delicacy of touch in his handling of the coarse vernacular of the East End of London, which attracted the respect of such writers as P. G. Wodehouse, who mentions Jacobs in his autobiographical work "Bring on the Girls " (written with Guy Bolton, published 1954).

A number of Jacobs' stories are available at Project Gutenberg