Don Hunter grew up in Cumbria, England, attended Workington Grammar School, and served two years with 23 Parachute Field Ambulance before completing teacher training at Chester. He taught for two years before he and his wife June emigrated to B.C. in 1961. After eight years teaching in B.C. and gaining a B.Ed. at UBC, he switched to journalism and spent almost 30 years with The Province newspaper as reporter, editor and finally senior columnist. He had earlier worked also as a farm labourer, strawberry picker, mail deliverer, taxi driver, longshoreman, construction worker, and screenwriter.

The Hunters built a home on Galiano Island, becoming part-time members of a community whose occupants inspired many of the tales from Spinner’s Inlet. Don and his wife live in Fort Langley. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.