Smith was educated at Hampton Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he read Modern Languages.

On starting his writing career, to distinguish himself from other writers of the same name he added the initial "H", representing his grandmother's maiden name, Hockley.

From 1965 to 1969 he was Senior Research Associate at Richard Hoggart's Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at Birmingham University, and he has held visiting posts at the Universities of Bristol, Bournemouth, and Texas (Austin).

From 1964 to 1973 he did literary work for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and later some for the National Theatre.

Stories and poems for BBC radio, Transatlantic Review, The Listener, etc.