John Ray Grisham Jr. is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, celebrated for his best-selling legal thrillers. His literary contributions include an impressive 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, with his books selling over 300 million copies worldwide. Grisham stands alongside literary giants like Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling as one of only three anglophone authors to have sold two million copies on the first printing.

Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. Practicing criminal law for about a decade, he also served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990. His first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in June 1989 and later adapted into a feature film in 1996. His first bestseller, The Firm, sold more than seven million copies, leading to both a 1993 feature film starring Tom Cruise and a 2012 TV series.

Seven other novels have been adapted into films, including The Chamber, The Client, A Painted House, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas.

John Grisham is also deeply involved in addressing issues within the criminal justice system through his work with organizations like the Innocence Project and Centurion Ministries. He resides on a farm in central Virginia.