Susan Eloise Hinton published her first book, The Outsiders, at the age of 17. Her publisher suggested she publish under her initials instead of her feminine so that book reviewers would not dismiss the novel because its author was female, and she continued to publish using her initials because of the success of her first book and because she did not want to be famous.
In 1979, Hinton was the first recipient of the Margaret Edwards Award, presented by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the ALA for work which depicts the experiences and emotions of teenagers and is widely accepted by young people. That same year, The Outsiders was named best novel by the New York Times in 1979.
Hinton currently resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband.
