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John Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Ark., in 1955. He graduated from Southaven High School in 1973 and received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Mississippi State University in 1977. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, Grisham was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives and served until 1990. From 1988 to 1990, he served as vice-chairman of Committee on Apportionment and Elections. He was a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee from 1988 to 1990.
While still working in Desoto County, Grisham was inspired to start a novel. He spent three years writing A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. The book received some good reviews but initially sold only moderately well. His next book would be a different story. Completed in 1988, The Firm was his break-out hit.
In 1990, before the novel was published, Paramount Pictures purchased the film rights. Since then, Grisham has gone on to be recognized as one of the world's bestselling novelists, and many of his novels have been scripted into successful movies.
In addition to A Time to Kill in 1989, Grisham has written: The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, The Broker, The Innocent Man, Playing for Pizza and The Appeal. Publishers Weekly declared Grisham "the bestselling novelist of the 90s" in a January 1998 profile.
Grisham and his wife Renee divide their time between homes in Charlottesville, Va., and Oxford. They have two children, Ty, 25, and Shea, 22.
When he's not writing, Grisham devotes time to charitable causes, including taking mission trips with his church group. He also keeps up with his greatest passion, baseball, by serving as the local Little League commissioner.
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