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Hunter Davies Q&A

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CariGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 28-Jan-15 15:07:56
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You asked...so we delivered!

Very happy to be doing a Q&A with Hunter Davies.

He's a prolific author, journalist and broadcaster and the author of the only authorised biography of the Beatles. He was born in Johnston, Renfrewshire in 1936 and moved to Carlisle aged 11. He went on to study at Durham University where he wrote for their university newspaper Palatinate and gained a teaching diploma after his undergraduate degree.

After he left university, Hunter worked as a journalist and in 1965 he wrote the novel HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH, that was made into a film of the same name. 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 but advised him to gain the approval of Brian Epstein, and the resulting biography THE BEATLES was published in 1968.

He went on to write for publications such as Punch, New Statesman, The Guardian and The Sunday Times and he has written the FLOSSIE TEACAKE, OSSIE and SNOTTY BUMSTEAD book series for children.

THE JOHN LENNON LETTERS was published on 9 October 2012 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson and THE BISCUIT GIRLS, a book about the women who worked the Carr's Biscuit Factory, in August 2014.

Hunter’s most recent book is THE BEATLES LYRICS, published in September 2014.

Ask away - we will be sending the questions over to him on Feb 11.

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HunterDavies Tue 17-Feb-15 15:12:42

gammby

I believe you have ghostwritten a number of football autobiographies among them Gazza and Wayne Rooney. I would love to know more about this. How did you get them to open up? Did you have to press them to get the truth rather than what they wanted to tell? What were they really like? Did you like them? And how do you get into their heads to write as them not you?

Ghost writing - I explained all that in my memoirs - The Beatles, football, and me - at least think I did. Question too general and I am too tired, as I have just come from swimming. I have to say this is the first time I have answered such a Q and A. I don't tweet, blog or facebook - and my rule is only to put pen to paper for money...lucky you.

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HunterDavies Tue 17-Feb-15 15:14:47

saulg

Have you ever been tempted to go back to Scotland? I heard you were born here but have lived most of your life in England. Do you feel your Scottish roots at all?

I do feel Scottish when it's football, and always want Scotland to win, and if we had gone independent I would have applied for Scottish citizenship. I was born in Scotland, of Scottish parents, but left when I was eleven for Carlisle. So if anything, I feel Cumbrian…

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HunterDavies Tue 17-Feb-15 15:16:12

MissMaybel

What made you decide to become a journalist? I know that's a weird question but my grandson is thinking about it and I think it'd be great to let him know what inspired you!

Becoming a journalist - all in my biog, but it started by chance as a student at Durham when I started writing so called funny piece for the student magazine…

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HunterDavies Tue 17-Feb-15 15:18:09

lavendarlilac

Hello Mr Davies!

I am a huge Beatles fan - can you tell us what it was like to work with them on the biography? (I read it and it was fantastic. Thank you so much for writing it!)

Beatles background - all in the latest edition of the biog. Hurry, only £10.

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HunterDavies Tue 17-Feb-15 15:20:05

Twostep

What did you think of John Lennon's comment after your biography was published?! Rather rude, I think... I did meet him once and he seemed a nice chap (donated a generous amount of money to a cause I was collecting door to door for) - maybe he was having an off day...!!

Yes I was upset at the time by John rubbishing my book - but in that interview he was rubbishing everything, even himself. Nothing was taken out of the book at all, but John did ask me to keep his Aunt Mimi happy who was moaning about the bad language and him stealing as a kid. I took nothing out - but put in an extra par from her saying that John was as happy as the day was long…

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HunterDavies Tue 17-Feb-15 15:21:14

northwest

If Carlisle played Spurs who would you want to win?

CUFC to win, forever…

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TriciaF Tue 17-Feb-15 17:17:15

Thanks for the replies - I would add a double kiss smiley but there isn't one.

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