Tim Tharp is an American author known for his engaging novels and his contributions to young adult literature. He resides in Oklahoma, where he both writes and teaches in the Humanities Department at Rose State College.

Tharp earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Fine Arts from Brown University. Throughout his life, he has worked in various roles including as a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aide, long-distance hitchhiker, and record store clerk.

His first novel, Falling Dark, was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Knights of the Hill Country, his first novel for young adults, was named to the American Library Association's Best Books of 2007 list. His acclaimed YA novel, The Spectacular Now, was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award.