John Grisham

John Ray Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 8th, 1955. When he was about twelve years old his family moved to Southaven, Mississippi. He played football in high school, but his true aspiration was to play professional baseball. When he realized that dream was not a reality for him, he turned his sights in a different direction.

He enrolled at Mississippi State University in 1977, where he studied accounting and received an undergraduate degree. Then he decided he would try law school, so he went on to the University of Mississippi School of Law. In 1981, Grisham earned his law degree. After graduation, he started his own law practice in his hometown of Southaven. While running his practice, he dabbled in politics and, in 1983, he was elected to the House of Representatives for Mississippi and remained there for seven years.

In his spare time John enjoyed writing and this is where he discovered his true talent. John got the idea for his first book, “A Time to Kill,” from a testimony he heard in the courtroom. John continued to produce at least one new book a year and, thanks to his background as a lawyer, his books are always based around legal thrillers. Each one of his books has become a best seller and seven of them have been made into films. For seven consecutive years, he is the only person to author a best selling novel each year. His books are enjoyed internationally and have been translated into 29 different languages. John has given scholarships to the University of Mississippi for its creative writing program. Among all the other jobs John has had in his life, lawyer, politician, and writer, he can now add publisher to the list.