Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is the author of a number of bestselling and beloved books for young adults, including That Was Then, This Is Now (1971), Rumble Fish (1975), Tex (1979), and of course, The Outsiders (1967), which was written when she was just 16 years old. She has also written several picture books, a collection of short stories, and a novel for adults.

Hinton is credited with introducing the YA genre. In 1988 she received the inaugural Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association for her cumulative contribution in writing for teens.

She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma—the setting of THE OUTSIDERS—with her husband. When she is not writing, she enjoys riding horses.