Hunter Davies facts for kids

Edward Hunter Davies (born on January 7, 1936) is a British writer, journalist, and broadcaster. He is well-known for writing the only official book about the famous music group, the Beatles. He also received an award called the OBE for his work in literature.

Growing Up and School

Hunter Davies was born in Johnstone, Scotland. His family lived in Dumfries for four years until he was 11 years old. He once said that his childhood hero was a football player named Billy Houliston, who played for his local team, Queen of the South.

When he was 11, his family moved to Carlisle in northern England. He went to Creighton School there. His father, who used to work for the Royal Air Force, had to retire early because of a serious illness.

Later, Davies went to Carlisle Grammar School. He then studied History at Durham University. He started writing for the university newspaper, Palatinate, which was his first experience as a writer. After finishing his degree, he stayed for another year to get a teaching diploma.

Becoming a Writer

After university, Hunter Davies became a journalist. In 1965, he wrote a novel called Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. This book was later made into a movie in 1967.

Writing About The Beatles

Davies met Paul McCartney of the Beatles to talk about writing a song for his movie. During their meeting, Davies suggested writing a book about the Beatles. McCartney liked the idea because many untrue stories had been written about the band. He told Davies to get permission from their manager, Brian Epstein. Epstein agreed, and the official book, The Beatles, was published in 1968.

Later, John Lennon said in an interview that he thought the book was not completely accurate. However, Lennon was trying to change how people saw the Beatles at that time.

Other Books and Articles

In 1972, Davies wrote a book about football called The Glory Game. It showed what happened behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur football club. He also wrote a column for Punch magazine called "Father's Day," where he wrote about his daily life as a busy father.

In 1974, The Sunday Times newspaper asked him to write about a comprehensive school. He spent a year watching and studying a school in Muswell Hill, London. This led to his book, The Creighton Report, published in 1976.

Davies has also written books about the Lake District in England. These books cover the area's geography and history. He wrote a biography about Alfred Wainwright, a famous walker who explored the fells (hills) of the Lake District.

For younger readers, he wrote the Ossie, Flossie Teacake, and Snotty Bumstead series of novels.

Helping Others Write Books

Hunter Davies has also helped famous people write their autobiographies (their life stories). He worked with football players like Wayne Rooney, Paul Gascoigne, and Dwight Yorke. He also helped politician John Prescott write his autobiography, Prezza, My Story: Pulling no Punches, in 2008.

He writes a football column for the New Statesman magazine. A collection of these articles was published as a book called The Fan in 2005. Davies also writes a column called "Confessions of a Collector" for The Guardian newspaper's Weekend magazine. He wrote a book with the same title about his collections.

During the recording sessions for the Beatles' Let It Be album, they recorded a song about Hunter Davies called "There You Go Eddie." This song was not officially released but can be found on unofficial recordings.

In 2014, Hunter Davies was given the OBE award for his contributions to literature.

A Football Fan

Hunter Davies has always loved football. He first supported Queen of the South when he lived in Dumfries. After moving to Carlisle, he started supporting Carlisle United.

Now living in London, his third favorite team is Tottenham Hotspur. When it comes to international football, Davies supports the Scotland team.

Family Life

Hunter Davies was married to the writer Margaret Forster from 1960 until she passed away in 2016. Their daughter, Caitlin Davies, is also an author. Since 1963, the family lived in Dartmouth Park in north London.

During the summer, they would stay at their second home near Loweswater in the Lake District. This home was sold in July 2016. His own autobiography, The Beatles, Football and Me, was published in 2007.

Selected Books

Novels

• Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1965)
• Rise and Fall of Jake Sullivan (1970)
• A Very Loving Couple (1971)
• Body Charge (1972)

Non-Fiction

• The Beatles: The Authorised Biography (1968)
• The Other Half: Ten Case Histories of the new Poor Rich (1968)
• The Glory Game (1972)
• A Walk Along the Wall (1976)
• The Creighton Report: A Year in the Life of a Comprehensive School (1976)
• The Beatles, Revised Edition (1978)
• George Stephenson: The Remarkable Life of the Founder of the Railways (1980)
• The Joy of Stamps (1983)
• A Walk Round London's Parks (1983)
• The Beatles, 2nd Revised Edition (1986)
• The Teller of Tales: In Search of Robert Louis Stevenson (1994)
• Wainwright: The Biography (1995)
• West Cumbrian Views (1998)
• London to Loweswater: A Journey through England at the end of the Twentieth Century (1999)
• The Quarrymen (2001)
• Boots, Balls and Haircuts (2003)
• I Love Football (2006)
• The Second Half (2006)
• The Beatles, Football and Me (2007)
• The Bumper Book of Football (2007)
• Confessions of a Collector (2009)
• Postcards from the Edge of Football A Social History of a British Game (2010)
• The Beatles Lyrics (2014)
• The Biscuit Girls (2014)
• The Co-Op's Got Bananas: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Post-War North (2016)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina Travel Guide (2016)
• A Life in the Day (2017)
• The Beatles: The Authorised Biography 50th Anniversary Edition (2018)
• Happy Old Me: How to Live A Long Life, and Really Enjoy It (2019)
• The Heath: My Year on Hampstead Heath (2021)
• Love in Old Age: My Year in the Wight House (2023)