Craig Johnson (author)

Craig Johnson
Johnson in 2011
Born	Craig Allen Johnson (1961-01-16) January 16, 1961 (age 63)[citation needed]
Occupation	Novelist, short story writer.
Language	English
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Marshall University
Genre	Mystery, Crime fiction, Detective fiction, Westerns
Notable works	Walt Longmire series of novels
Spouse	Judy Johnson
Website
www.craigallenjohnson.com

Craig Allen Johnson (born January 16, 1961) is an American author who writes mystery novels. He is best known for his Sheriff Walt Longmire novel series. The books are set in northern Wyoming, where Longmire is sheriff of the fictional county of Absaroka. The series debuted in 2004 and as of September 2021, Johnson has written 18 novels, two novellas, and many short stories featuring Longmire. Some of the novels have been on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2012, Warner Horizon adapted the main characters and the Wyoming settings of the novels for a television series. Johnson lives at a ranch where he built a residence in the small town of Ucross, Wyoming—population 25.^[1] Although he identified himself as a former New York police officer while promoting his early novels, a 2009 New York Times profile revealed this to be misleading.^[2]

As of September 2021, Johnson has authored 23 books featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire. They have been translated into 14 languages and have won numerous awards, including the Nouvel Observateur Prix du Roman Noir and the SNCF Mystery of the Year.^{[citation needed]}

The A&E TV series Longmire, based on Johnson's novels, premiered on June 3, 2012, with cast members Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase, Adam Bartley, A Martinez, Zahn McClarnon, and John Bishop.^[3] Filmed in New Mexico,^[4] Longmire debuted as A&E's number-one original-series premiere of all time with 4.1 million total viewers.^[5] After the third season, A&E canceled the series and subsequently seasons four to six were made for Netflix.^[6][7]

The success of Johnson's novels is celebrated in an annual festival, called Longmire Days, held in the small town of Buffalo, Wyoming, the real-life inspiration for the series' fictional setting. Close to 12,000 people attend the festival each year, including the author, many of the actors from the TV series, and (on occasion) the publishers and producers.^[8]

Craig Johnson grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, and attended college at Marshall University.^[9]

Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, with his wife Judy.^[10][11]

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• Official website
• "Craig Johnson makes crime pay". Los Angeles Times. July 20, 2008.
• "Le cow-boy du Wyoming". Le Nouvel Observateur. July 16, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009.
• "Television series based on Craig Johnson's Wyoming sheriff in the works". The Buffalo Bulletin. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013.
• Schaffer, Rachel (2010). "With a Little Help from His Friends: The Functions of Diversity in Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire Series". Clues: A Journal of Detection. 28 (2): 95–104. doi:10.3172/CLU.28.2.95. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28.