From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Peter Mayle (born 14 June 1939 in Brighton) was 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... see more