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 Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

, 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 Ucross is an unincorporated community along the Piney Creek on the southern edge of Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States. Ucross is located at the junction of U.S. Route 14 and U.S. Route 16, west-southwest of Clearmont. Ucross has a po ...

—population 25.

Career

Books

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.

TV adaptations

The A&E TV series '' Longmire'', based on Johnson's novels, premiered on June 3, 2012, with cast members Robert Taylor,

Katee Sackhoff Katee Sackhoff (born April 8, 1980) is an American actress known for playing Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004–2009), Niko Breckenridge on the Netflix series '' Anothe ...

Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips (born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (198 ...

Bailey Chase Bailey Chase Luetgert (born May 1, 1972) is an American stage and television actor. Chase is known for his role as Cory Snyder in '' Walk. Ride. Rodeo.'', as Butch Ada in the television series '' Saving Grace'', as Graham Miller in '' Buffy the ...

Adam Bartley Adam Bartley (born January 28, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Sheriff's Deputy Archie "the Ferg" Ferguson on the television series '' Longmire''. Life and career Bartley was born in Minnesota, and is a 1997 graduate ...

A Martinez Adolfo Larrue Martínez III (born September 27, 1948) is an American actor and singer with roles in the daytime soap operas '' Santa Barbara'', '' General Hospital'', '' One Life to Live'', ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', and ''Days of Our Live ...

Zahn McClarnon Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon (born October 24, 1966) is an American actor known for his performances in the Western crime drama series '' Longmire'', the second season of ''Fargo'', and the second season of '' Westworld''. In 2022, he played the le ...

, and John Bishop. Filmed in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, ''Longmire'' debuted as A&E's number-one original-series premiere of all time with 4.1 million total viewers. After A&E canceled the series, seasons four to six were made for Netflix.

Influence

The success of Johnson's novels is celebrated in an annual festival, called Longmire Days, held in the small town of

Buffalo, Wyoming Buffalo is a city in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The city is located almost equidistant between Yellowstone Park and Mount Rushmore. The population was 4,415 at the 2020 census, down from 4,585 at the 2010 census. It is the county ...

, 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.

Personal life

Craig Johnson grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, and attended college at Marshall University. Johnson lives in

, with his wife Judy.

Bibliography

Walt Longmire series

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Craig 1961 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American mystery writers Western (genre) writers Writers from Huntington, West Virginia People from Sheridan County, Wyoming Writers from Wyoming 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male novelists American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Novelists from West Virginia