Hunter Davies

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Hunter Davies
Born 7 January 1936 (1936-01-07) (age 72)
Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Occupation author, journalist and broadcaster,
Nationality British

Hunter Davies (born 7 January 1936) is a prolific British author, journalist and broadcaster, perhaps best known for writing the only authorised biography of The Beatles.

Contents

[edit] Early life

He was born in Scotland to Scottish parents and considers himself Scottish, but he was raised in Carlisle, England, between the ages of 4 and 7 when the family moved to Dumfries. They returned to Carlisle when Hunter was 11 and he attended the Creighton School in the city. During this time his father, who was a former RAF pay clerk, developed multiple sclerosis and had to retire on medical grounds from a civil service career.

Davies joined the sixth form at Carlisle Grammar School and was awarded a place at Durham University to read for an Honours Degree in History, but after his first year he switched to a general arts course. He gained his first writing experience as a student, contributing to the university newspaper, Palatinate. However after completing his degree course he stayed on at Durham for another year to gain a teaching diploma.

[edit] Writing career

After he left university Davies worked as a journalist and in 1965 he wrote the novel Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush that was quickly made into a film. He raised the idea of a biography of The Beatles with Paul McCartney when he met him to discuss the possibility of providing the theme song for the film. McCartney liked the idea of the book and advised him to obtain the approval of Brian Epstein. He agreed to it and the resulting authorised biography was published in 1968.

In 1972 he wrote what is widely regarded as one of the best ever books about football, The Glory Game, a behind the scenes portrait of Tottenham Hotspur. He also wrote a wry column in Punch called "Father's Day". In 1974 he was sent by the Sunday Times to look at a comprehensive school in action. He wrote three articles and then stayed on at the school – Creighton School in Muswell Hill, North London, now part of Fortismere School – to watch and study through a year in its life. The result was a book, the Creighton Report, published in 1976.[1]

Davies has also written a biography of the hill walker Alfred Wainwright, and many works about the topography and history of the Lake District.

In children's literature, he has written the "Ossie" and "Flossie Teacake" series of novels.

As a ghostwriter, he has worked on the autobiographies of footballers Wayne Rooney, Paul Gascoigne and Dwight Yorke. The Wayne Rooney biography led to a successful libel action in 2008 by David Moyes, the manager of his former club, Everton. Moyes magnanimously donated the awarded six figure damages to the club's charity. He has also ghostwritten politician John Prescott's 2008 autobiography, Prezza, My Story: Pulling no Punches.[2]

Davies writes a weekly column on sport for the New Statesman.

[edit] Carlisle United

Hunter Davies is a supporter of the English Football League club Carlisle United F.C., and is Vice President of the Carlisle United Supporters Club London Branch. He writes a football column for the New Statesman magazine which is written in his trademark humorous, irreverent tone. A compilation of these articles was released as a book, The Fan, in 2005 by Pomona Press.

[edit] Personal life

Davies is married to the writer Margaret Forster and their daughter Caitlin Davies is also an author.

[edit] Selected works

[edit] Additional bibliography

  • The Other Half
  • The New London Spy
  • The Rise and Fall of Jake Sullivan
  • I Knew Daisy Smuren
  • A Very Loving Couple
  • Body Change
  • A Walk Along the Wall
  • George Stephenson
  • William Wordsworth
  • The Grades
  • Father's Day
  • A Walk Along the Tracks
  • Great Britain: A Celebration
  • Flossie Teacake's Fur Coat
  • A Walk Around London's Parks
  • A Good Guide to the Lakes
  • The Joy of Stamps
  • Back in the U.S.S.R.
  • Beatrix Potter's Lakeland
  • My Life in Football
  • In Search of Columbus
  • Striker
  • Hunting People
  • The Teller of Tales
  • Living on the Lottery
  • Born 1900: A Human History of the Twentieth Century - For Everyone Who Was There. [4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Creighton Report, sleeve notes
  2. ^ The Bookseller: "Have they got books for you".
  3. ^ Gass, Glenn (June 2002). Interview with Hunter Davies. Z401: The Music of The Beatles. Indiana University School of Music. Retrieved on 2007-02-04. “Released in 1968, when the group's future still seemed limitless, the book was an engaging and surprisingly honest firsthand account.”
  4. ^ Above additional bibliographical list taken from a copy of Born 1900 published by Little Brown of London in 1998
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