The author of the outsiders is Susan Elouise Hinton or S.E. Hinton. Susan wrote the book in high school. She was born July 22, 1948. In 1988 she received the inaugural Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association for her cumulative contribution in writing for teens. Susan was not a member of a gang when she wrote The Outsiders, butshe was a friend to many greasers. She has stated that her biggest compliment was that her greaser friends liked the book. Although she also had friends who were Socs, she definitely did not consider herself a part of that group. Her mother's reaction to the novel was shock; she said, "Susie, where did you pick up all of this?"