About
David Hunt is an unusually tall and handsome man who likes writing his own biographical notes.
His debut book, Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia, won the 2014 Indie Award for Non-Fiction and was shortlisted for lots of other literary prizes awarded by less discerning judges.
The sequel, True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2, continued David’s career as Australia’s most successful writer whose titles all include the word girt and whose book covers gratuitously depict Australian historical figures being crapped on by native birds. True Girt was shortlisted for Audiobook of the Year at the 2017 Australian Book Industry Awards and for the 2017 Russell Prize for Humour Writing.
Girt Nation, the third volume of The Unauthorised History of Australia, hit the shelves on 2 November 2021.
David has insisted on narrating the Girt audiobooks, with critics calling his work “Brave” and “Shit”. His two Scottish accents, Drunk Glaswegian and Slurry Sean, are used interchangeably for anyone born north of Hadrian’s Wall, and his other offensive stereotypes were developed after watching all three Austin Powers films and reruns of ‘Allo ‘Allo!
David wasn’t allowed to do silly voices on Rum, Rebels & Ratbags, the ABC Radio Australian history podcast he wrote and presented with Dom Knight. If he had, it would not have been one of Rolling Stone’s four hottest podcasts of 2016 and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Ten History Podcasts You Need to Hear.
In 2016, David surprised the world by writing a book without the word girt in it. David maintains that his debut picture book, The Nose Pixies, addresses important themes and is about so much more than mining nose gold from the nostrils of small boys.
My Real Friend, David’s second picture book, was published in 2019. It’s the story of Rupert, an imaginary monster who wishes he had more of a say in his relationship with his real friend, William. And most of all, Rupert wishes he was real.
David has written heaps of other stuff, including a Defining Moments of Australian History animated video series for the National Museum of Australia and pieces for The Chaser Quarterly, Quarterly Essay, The Guardian and the Fairfax press (the closest David will ever get to being employed by Nine).
David was a writer and presenter of Aussie Inventions That Changed the World, which has screened on ABC TV and History Channel. He has also appeared as an expert historian-thingy on Who Do You Think You Are.
David was a speaker at TEDxSydney 2017 and does speaking gigs for money through Saxton Speakers Bureau.
He has a birthmark that looks like Tasmania, only smaller and not as far south.
Awards
Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia
- Indie Awards, Non-fiction Book of the Year, 2014: winner.
- Australian Book Industry Awards, General Non-Fiction Book of the Year, 2014: shortlisted.
- NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Douglas Steward Prize for Non-fiction, 2014: shortlisted.
- Nielsen Bookdata Booksellers Choice Award, 2014: shortlisted.
- Best Books of 2013, iBooks.
- Best Books of 2013, Herald Sun.
- Best Books of 2013, the Age.
- Best Books of 2013, Booktopia.
True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2.
- Australian Book Industry Awards, Audiobook of the Year, 2017: shortlisted.
- Russell Prize for Humour Writing, 2017: shortlisted.
- Australian Book Industry Awards, General Non-Fiction Book of the Year, 2017: longlisted.
- Indie Awards, Non-fiction Book of the Year, 2017: longlisted.
- Best Books of 2016, Sydney Morning Herald.
- Best Books of 2016, Booktopia.
The Nose Pixies
- Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards, 2017: shortlisted.
- Best Books of 2016, Sydney Morning Herald.