Grisham, John Syllabification: (Grish·am, John)Pronunciation: /ˈgriSHəm/Definition of Grisham, John (1955-) US writer and lawyer; full name John Ray Grisham. His novels include the legal thrillers A Time to Kill (1989), The Firm (1991), The Testament (1999), and The Brethren (2000).