Peter Mayle facts for kids

Peter Mayle (14 June 1939 – 18 January 2018) was a British author. He became well-known for his funny and charming books. These books described his life in Provence, a beautiful region in the south of France.

Peter Mayle's Early Life

Peter Mayle was born in Brighton, England, in 1939. He was the youngest of three children. After World War II, his family moved to Barbados. His father worked for the Colonial Office there. Peter returned to England when he was 16. He had finished school in Barbados by then.

From Oil to Advertising

In 1957, Peter Mayle got his first job. He worked as a trainee at Shell Oil in London. He soon realized he was more interested in advertising. He wrote to David Ogilvy, a famous advertising leader. Ogilvy offered him a job as a junior account executive. However, Peter preferred creative work. In 1961, he became a copywriter in New York City.

Building a Creative Career

Another advertising agency, Papert Koenig, Lois, hired him. They sent him back to London. There, he led their creative team. He worked with Alan Parker, who later became a famous film director. When the US parent company faced problems, Peter and a colleague bought the London office. They grew the business with big clients like Sony. After five years, a top American agency, BBDO, bought their company. Peter then traveled between the US and the UK as their creative director.

In 1972, Peter Mayle wrote an advertising slogan. It was for Wonderloaf Bread. This slogan became a popular football chant. Supporters of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club used it. It even inspired the song "Nice One Cyril." By 1974, Peter Mayle decided to leave advertising. He wanted to write books full-time.

Peter Mayle's Writing Career

Peter Mayle started by writing educational books. He also wrote humorous books with illustrator Gray Jolliffe. In the late 1980s, he moved from Devon, England, to the Luberon region in southern France. He planned to write a novel. However, he ended up writing about his new life in France instead.

A Year in Provence and Beyond

This new book was called A Year in Provence. It came out in 1989. The book became a huge international bestseller. It told the story of his first year living in Ménerbes, a village in France. Many more books followed. They were translated into over twenty languages. He also wrote for magazines and newspapers.

A Year in Provence was made into a TV series in 1993. It starred John Thaw. His novel A Good Year became a movie in 2006. Ridley Scott directed it. Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard were the main actors.

Peter Mayle later moved to Amagansett, New York. He wanted to get away from fans visiting his home in Provence. He eventually returned to France. At the time of his death in 2018, he lived in Vaugines, also in Provence. He passed away in a hospital near his home in January 2018.

Awards and Recognition

The British Book Awards recognized A Year in Provence as the Best Travel Book of the Year in 1989. They also named Peter Mayle Author of the Year in 1992. In 2002, the French government honored him. They made him a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. This means Knight of the Legion of Honor. It was for his work in promoting cooperation and the French language.