Hunter Davies was brought up in Carlisle, educated at Durham University, and now lives half the year in London and half in the Lake District.
As a journalist he worked on the Sunday Times, where he was chief features writer, and later editor of the magazine. He wrote regular columns for Punch and currently writes for the New Statesman, The Sunday Times, the Mail on Sunday and Cumbrian Life. For three years he presented Bookshelf on BBC Radio 4.
He is the author of over forty books, including biographies, novels, children's novels (Flossie Teacake) and several books about the Lakes. He is the author of the only official biography of the Beatles.