John Grisham

Birth Name:

John Ray Grisham

Birth Place:

Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States

Profession

Writer, Producer, Actor

Gained widespread acclaim following the release of The Firm in 1991 after the book sat on The New York Times' Bestsellers List for 47 straight weeks
A longtime supporter of The Innocence Project, a non-profit aimed at campaigning to free convicted individuals with the help of modern-day DNA research
Earned his bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law
After graduating from law school in 1983, he would return to his Mississippi hometown to work as a civil litigation attorney before eventually running for public office
Began writing his first novel, A Time to Kill, after being elected to office in 1984, but would not publish it until five years later after being rejected by almost 30 publishing houses
Served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 until 1990, earning a salary of only $8,000 annually
Began working on his second novel, The Firm, the day after his first book went into circulation in 1989

Fast Facts