Wright Thompson

Famed long-form sports journalist and bestselling author of The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi

Wright Thompson is known for his compelling, in-depth, long-form journalism focusing on sports, culture, and the American South. He is a senior writer for ESPN, a contributing writer to the Atlantic, and the New York Times bestselling author of the new book, The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi.

Thompson returns to his roots in the Mississippi Delta with The Barn. His family farm is 23 miles from the site of one of the most notorious and consequential killings in American history and to this day, fundamental truths about the brutal 1955 murder of teenager Emmet Till are widely unknown. In The Barn, Thompson brings to life the small group of dedicated people who have been engaged in the hard, fearful business of bringing the truth to light.

Thompson’s previous books include Pappyland: A Story Of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last and The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business. He has won numerous awards and honors, including the National Magazine Award, the Livingston Award, and the Michael Kelly Award.

Thompson started his sportswriting career while a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, having covered Missouri sports and writing as a columnist for the School of Journalism’s Columbia Missourian.

Between his junior and senior years, Thompson interned at the Times-Picayune in New Orleans and later was the LSU beat writer there. He later moved to the Kansas City Star, where he covered a wide variety of sports events including Super Bowls, Final Fours, The Masters, and The Kentucky Derby. In 2006, he assumed full-time writing duties at ESPN.com. His topics have covered a wide range of sports issues.

His 2010 article Ghosts of Mississippi inspired the 2012 ESPN 30 for 30 series documentary film The Ghosts of Ole Miss (which Thompson narrated), about the 1962 football team’s perfect season and concurrent violence and rioting over integration of the segregated university by James Meredith. He also narrated the ESPN 30 for 30 film Roll Tide/War Eagle.

Known for his vivid storytelling and deep insights, Wright Thompson’s gripping narratives blend nostalgia, family heritage, and the emotional power of place. The Barn is an exploration of identity, legacy, and the human spirit’s unyielding connection to the land.

Thompson lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his family.