Tui T. Sutherland is an acclaimed American children's book author born on July 31, 1978, in Caracas, Venezuela. She has penned more than 60 books under her name and various pen names, including Heather Williams, Erin Hunter (shared), Rob Kidd (shared), and Tamara Summers.

Her mother named her after the Tui, a bird native to New Zealand, which is notably louder than the well-known Kiwi. Sutherland spent her early years in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before relocating to New Jersey during her high school years. During this period, she was involved in theater, primarily working backstage.

She graduated from Williams College in 1998, shifting her focus from theater to a more stable career in fiction writing. She is best known for the Wings of Fire series, an epic dragon fantasy saga that has sold over 15 million copies. Tui also appeared on "Jeopardy!" in 2009 and won $46,200 over three games.

As of the latest information, she resides in Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and two children.