Peter Mayle (born 14 June 1939 in Brighton) is a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. He spent fifteen years in the advertising industry before leaving the business in 1975 to write educational books, including a series on sex education for children and young people. His 1989 book A Year in Provence became an international bestseller; it chronicled a year in his life as a British expatriate in Ménerbes, a village in the southern département Vaucluse.
His books have been translated to more than twenty languages. He writes for magazines and newspapers. A Year in Provence was produced as a TV series starring John Thaw and screened in 1993. His novel A Good Year was the basis for the 2006 film of the same name directed by Ridley Scott and starring actors Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard.
Peter Mayle lives in Lourmarin, situated in Luberon, in Provence, France.
British Book Awards named A Year in Provence Best Travel Book of the Year (1989) and him Author of the Year (1992). The French government made him a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor) in 2002, for coopération et francophonie.
Where Did I Come From? The Facts of Life without Any Nonsense and with Illustrations, illustrated by Arthur Robins and Paul Walter, Carol Publishing Group (Secaucus, NJ), 1973, African-American edition published with illustrations adapted by Zina Sauders, Carol Publishing Group (Secaucus, NJ), 1999.
What's Happening to Me? The Answers to Some of the World's Most Embarrassing Questions, illustrated by Arthur Robins and Paul Walter, Carol Publishing Group (Secaucus, NJ), 1975.
"Will I Go to Heaven?," Corwin, 1976.
"Will I Like It?" Your First Sexual Experience, What to Expect, What to Avoid, and How Both of You Can Get the Most out of It, photographs by John Thornton, Corwin, 1977.
How to Be a Pregnant Father: An Illustrated Survival Guide for the First-time Father, illustrated by Arthur Robins, Lyle Stuart (Secaucus, NJ), 1977.
Baby Taming, illustrated by Arthur Robins, Crown (New York, NY), 1978.
(With Paul Rice) As Dead as a Dodo, illustrated by Shawn Rice, David Godine (Boston, MA), 1981.
(With Arthur Robins) Congratulations! You're Not Pregnant: An Illustrated Guide to Birth Control', Macmillan Publishers (New York, NY), 1981.
(With Arthur Robins) Grown-ups and Other Problems: Help for Small People in a Big World, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1982.
The Honeymoon Book, illustrated by Gray Jolliffe, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Chilly Billy, illustrated by Arthur Robins, Crown (New York, NY), 1983.
Man's Best Friend: Introducing Wicked Willie in the Title Role, illustrated by Gray Jolliffe, Crown (New York, NY), 1984.
Anything but Rover--the Art and Science of Naming Your Dog: A Breed by Breed Guide, Including Mongrels, illustrated by Arthur Robins, A. Barker, 1985.
Sweet Dreams and Monsters: A Beginner's Guide to Dreams and Nightmares and Things That Go Bump under the Bed, illustrated by Arthur Robins, Crown (New York, NY), 1986.
Wicked Willie's Guide to Women: A Worm's-Eye View of the Fair Sex, illustrated by Gray Jolliffe, Pan Books (London, England), 1986, Crown (New York, NY), 1987.
Wicked Willie's Guide to Women: The Further Adventures of Man's Best Friend, illustrated by Gray Jolliffe, Crown (New York, NY), 1988.
A Year in Provence, Hamish Hamilton (London, England), 1989, published with illustrations by Judith Clancy, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 1990.
Divorce Can Happen to the Nicest People, illustrated by Arthur Robins, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1979, revised edition published as Why Are We Getting a Divorce?, Crown (New York, NY), 1988.
(With Raffaella Fletcher) Dangerous Candy: A True Drug Story by Someone Who Did Them and Kicked Them, Sinclair-Stevenson (London, England), 1990, published as Dangerous Candy: A True Story about Drug Addiction, Trafalgar Square Publishing (North Pomfret, Vermont), 1991.
Toujours Provence, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991.
Acquired Tastes: A Beginner's Guide to Serious Pleasures, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1992.
Up the Agency: The Funny Business of Advertising, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.
Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence, Knopf (New York, NY), 1993.
Provence, photographs by Jason Hawkes, Random House (New York, NY), 1994.
A Dog's Life, with Ed Koren, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.
Anything Considered, Knopf (New York, NY), 1996.
Chasing Cézanne, Knopf (New York, NY), 1997.
Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France, Knopf (New York, NY), 1999.
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew, Knopf (New York, NY), 2001.
A Good Year, Knopf (New York, NY), 2004.
(With Gerard Auzet) Confessions of a French Baker: Breadmaking Secrets, Tips, and Recipes, Knopf (New York, NY), 2005.
Provence A-Z, Knopf (New York, NY), 2006.
(Author of introduction, with Ridley Scott) A Good Year: Portrait of the Film Based on the Novel by Peter Mayle, Newmarket Press (New York, NY), 2007.
(with Gray Jolliffe), screenplay Wicked Willie
Contributor of articles to periodicals, including
The Sunday Times
Financial Times
Independent
Esquire
contributor to Adventures in Wine, edited by Thom Elkjer, Travelers' Tales (San Francisco, CA), 2002.
column, "Expensive Habits," Gentleman's Quarterly
MEDIA ADAPTATIONS
A Year in Provence was adapted for audiocassette, Books on Tape, 1992, and for television by British Broadcasting Corporation
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew was adapted for audiocassette