John Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1955. He studied at Mississippi State University and in 1981 gained a degree in law. He practiced as a lawyer and also became a politician, being elected as a Representative for Mississippi, a role which he stayed in for seven years. As well as being a politician and a lawyer, Grisham was also writing in his spare time.
Grisham gave up his other occupations when his books began to be published. His most famous works are thrillers set in the world of law, but he has also written some non-fiction. He has now written over thirty novels, nine of which have topped the bestsellers list and fourteen have, or are about to be, made into films.
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