John Grisham

"Grisham" redirects here. For other people with the name, see Grisham (surname). For other uses, see Grisham (disambiguation).

John Grisham
John Grisham in 2016
John Grisham in 2016
BornJohn Ray Grisham Jr.
(1955-02-08) February 8, 1955 (age 69)
Jonesboro, Arkansas, U.S.
EducationMississippi State University (BS)
University of Mississippi (JD)
Period1989–present
GenresLegal thriller
Mystery
Crime fiction
Southern Gothic
Baseball
Football
Basketball
Young Adult Fiction
Spouse
Renee Grisham
​
(m. 1981)​
Children2
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
from the 7th district
In office
1983–1990
Preceded byDon Chambliss
Succeeded byGreg Davis
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
Website
jgrisham.com

John Ray Grisham Jr. (/ˈɡrɪʃəm/; born February 8, 1955)[1][2] is an American novelist, lawyer, and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide.[3] Along with Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only three anglophone authors to have sold two million copies on the first printing.[4][5]

Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. He practiced criminal law for about a decade and served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990.[6] Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in June 1989, four years after he began writing it. It was later adapted into the 1996 feature film of the same name. Grisham's first bestseller, The Firm,[7] sold more than seven million copies,[1] and was also adapted into a 1993 feature film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise, and a 2012 TV series that continues the story ten years after the events of the film and novel.[8] Seven of his other novels have also been adapted into films: The Chamber, The Client, A Painted House, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas.[9]

  1. ^ a b "John Grisham: Master of the Legal Thriller (Interview)". American Academy of Achievement. June 2, 1995. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1245. February 8, 2013. p. 22.
  3. ^ "John Grisham". Academy of Achievement. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  4. ^ "John Grisham Wins Galaxy Award". Writers Write. March 29, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  5. ^ Motoko, Rich (July 22, 2007). "Record First-Day Sales for Last 'Harry Potter' Book". The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  6. ^ "John Grisham (1955–)". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  7. ^ Grisham, John (1991). The Firm. United Kingdom: Century First. ISBN 978-0-09-983000-9.
  8. ^ "About 'The Firm'". NBC.com. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  9. ^ "John Grisham by Mark Flanagan" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, About.com; retrieved December 9, 2011.