This Day in History: Happy 60th Birthday John Grisham
One of the most popular American novelists, John Grisham, was born on this day in 1955. Known for his best-selling legal thrillers, Grisham’s books have sold over 250 million copies worldwide and several have been adapted into films.
Grisham earned his accounting degree from Mississippi State in 1977, went to law school at Ole Miss and began writing A Time to Kill after hearing the testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim.
In 1989 a small company named Wynwood Press published 5,000 copies and he began working on another book – The Firm. Grisham sold the movie rights for a big sum and a major publisher picked up The Firm and became a best-seller in 1991.
The film, starring Tom Cruise, became a huge success, earning over $158 million in the US, over $270 million globally.
The Pelican Brief (1992) and The Client (1993) topped best-seller lists, and his popularity prompted publishers to reissue A Time to Kill in hardcover and then in paperback (Grisham later referred to it as his favorite of all the legal thrillers he’s written).
All three were adapted into films, along with four other books. Beginning with A Painted House in 2001, the author broadened his focus from law to the more general rural South, but continued to write legal thrillers. He has also written sports fiction and comedy fiction.
In 2010, Grisham started writing a series of legal thrillers for children between 9 and 12 years old. It featured Theodore Boone, a 13-year-old kid who gives his classmates legal advice from rescuing impounded dogs to helping their parents prevent their house from being repossessed.
John has been transparent about his Christian faith, working as a missionary and still battles death penalty laws.
Happy 60th Mr. Grisham!
