Dhonielle Clayton is an American author and chief operating officer of We Need Diverse Books, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity in children's literature. Born in 1983, Clayton has established herself as a writer of young adult fiction. Clayton is best known for The Belles series, which ran from 2018 to 2023. In addition to her solo work, she has collaborated with other prominent authors on collective projects. Most notably, she joined Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon to write Blackout, published in 2021. Beyond her work as an author, Clayton's role at We Need Diverse Books reflects her commitment to expanding representation in publishing and ensuring that children's literature reflects the diversity of its readers.