S.E. Hinton is an American author of young adult fiction. She is best known for her YA novels set in Oklahoma, mainly The Outsiders, published in 1967. In 1988 she received the inaugural Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association for her cumulative contribution to writing for teens.
Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She wrote her first book when she was just 17 years old. Two rival gangs at her Will Rogers High School inspired the book. Hinton wrote The Outsiders because she was dissatisfied with the literature for young adults.
Once published in 1967 by Viking Press, the novel gave her a lot of publicity, fame, and pressure. A film adaptation was produced in 1983 by Francis Ford Coppola, and a short-lived TV series appeared in 1990.
Since then, the book has sold more than 14 million copies. In 2017, Viking stated the book sells over 500,000 copies a year. In 2019, BBC News listed The Outsiders among the 100 most influential novels.
S.E. Hinton has written several other novels, including Rumble Fish (1975) and Tex (1979). It received excellent reviews, and critics noted that her writing style has matured since previous publications.
However, Hinton's books were banned in some schools.
In 1985 the film version of That Was Then, This Is Now was released. Three years later, S.E. Hinton became the first person to receive the YASD/SLJ Author Achievement Award from the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association and School Library Journal.
S.E. Hinton is considered a classic of young adult literature. Her novels often deal with the struggles of young people growing up and finding their place in the world.
S.E. Hinton currently still lives in Tulsa with her husband, David.
