Author Peter Mayle, who wrote A Year in Provence, has died aged 78, his publisher has said.

The 1989 international bestselling book, which chronicled Mayle's move from England to France, was turned into a TV series and inspired a 2006 film.

He wrote follow-ups Toujours Provence and Encore Provence, as well as educational and children's books.

Publisher Alfred A Knopf said he died in a hospital near his home in the south of France after a short illness.

'Beloved writer'

In a statement on Twitter, Knopf said: "We are sad to report that Peter Mayle, the beloved writer who wrote multiple bestselling books about life in Provence, died early today."

Mayle moved from Devon to France in the late 1980s and wrote A Year in Provence about his first year as a British expat in a village in the south of France.

It was turned into a TV series starring John Thaw, which screened in 1993.

The 2006 film A Good Year, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, was also loosely based on the book.

In 2002, the French government awarded Mayle a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur, or Knight of the Legion of Honour, for his contributions to culture.