Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson was born in Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). His parents moved back to England so that he and his brothers could attend English schools. Dickinson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951 from King's College, Cambridge. From 1952–1969 he was an assistant editor, poet and reviewer for Punch magazine. Dickinson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2009. Dickinson writes mysteries for adults (including the James Pibble series), novels and mysteries for younger readers and children's picture books.