Born in Southampton, Hinton studied English at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he served as President of the Oxford University Poetry Society, and went on to receive a PhD in Twentieth Century English poetry at Birmingham University.
Hinton is Chairman of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust and curator at Dimbola Lodge, Freshwater.
He has organised photographic exhibitions by David Bailey, Charlton Heston, Koo Stark and many others at Dimbola Lodge.
In June 2009, he organised a photographic exhibition by American singer and songwriter Patti Smith that took place at Dimbola Lodge.
Hinton has played the character, Randolph Minton M.P., in the internet drama serial, Middle Ditch, since 2007, starring among others: David Caddy and Gordon Haskell.