{{Short description|British publisher (1937–2023)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Peter Usborne | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} | image = | caption = | birth_name = Thomas Peter Usborne | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1937|8|18}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2023|3|30|1937|8|18}} | education = Summer Fields School,<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> Oxford;<br>Eton College,<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> Berkshire | alma_mater = Balliol College, Oxford;<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> INSEAD<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> | occupation = Publisher | years_active = 1973–2023 | known_for = Usborne Publishing }}
'''Thomas Peter Usborne''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (18 August 1937 – 30 March 2023) was a British publisher. In the early 1960s, Usborne co-founded the satirical magazine ''Private Eye''.<ref name="Telegraph obit">{{cite web |title=Peter Usborne, co-founder of Private Eye and successful publisher of children's books – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/03/31/peter-usborne-private-eye-publisher-childrens-books/ |website=Daily Telegraph |access-date=4 April 2023 |date=31 March 2023}}</ref> In 1973 he founded the children's book publisher Usborne Publishing.<ref name="Telegraph obit" /><ref>{{cite web | title = The Usborne Identity – an interview with Peter Usborne | work = The Bookseller | url = http://www.thebookseller.com/in-depth/trade-profiles/46850-the-usborne-identity.html |first=Caroline |last=Horn|date=22 October 2007| access-date = 8 May 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090911190808/http://www.thebookseller.com/in-depth/trade-profiles/46850-the-usborne-identity.html |archive-date = 11 September 2009}}</ref>
==Education== Usborne was educated at Summer Fields School,<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> an independent boys' boarding and day preparatory school in the city of Oxford, followed by Eton College,<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> an independent boys' boarding school near the town of Windsor, in Berkshire. He then went up to Balliol College at the University of Oxford,<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> followed by INSEAD business school,<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> at the time based in Fontainebleau, a commune of the city of Paris, in France.
== Career == Usborne was the first managing director of the London-based satirical magazine ''Private Eye'' from its foundation in 1961, before leaving to study at INSEAD.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 March 2023 |title='Genius' children's publisher Peter Usborne dies aged 85 |url=https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2023/03/31/news/_genius_children_s_publisher_peter_usborne_dies_aged_85-3179840/ |access-date=2 April 2023 |website=The Irish News |language=en}}</ref>
After taking a position at the British Printing Corporation, he started working in children's books when he found out he was going to become a parent.<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> Soon afterwards, in 1973, he set up his own company.<ref name="usbornefamilytree">{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Thomas Peter Usborne M.B.E. |url=http://www.usbornefamilytree.com/peter1937.htm |website=usbornefamilytree.com}}</ref><ref name="thetimes">{{cite web |author= |date=28 April 2013 |title=How I Made It: Peter Usborne, founder of Usborne Publishing |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/london-travel/how-i-made-it-peter-usborne-founder-of-usborne-publishing-hkjght3l5gc |website=The Sunday Times}}</ref><ref name="ft">{{cite web |author=Natalie Graham |date=14 March 2014 |title=Work is child's play for book publisher Peter Usborne |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a661690a-a93c-11e3-b87c-00144feab7de |website=ft.com}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph obit" />
His eponymous publishing company was named Children's Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in both 2012 and 2020,<ref>{{Cite web|title=The British Book Awards 2020 {{!}} The Nibbies {{!}} The Bookseller|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/awards/shortlists/childrens-publisher|access-date=9 September 2021|website=www.thebookseller.com}}</ref> Independent Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2014,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Usborne, Nosy Crow, Summersdale winners at Independent Publishing Awards {{!}} The Bookseller|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/usborne-nosy-crow-summersdale-winners-independent-publishing-awards|first=Sarah|last=Shaffi|date=27 February 2014|access-date=9 September 2021|website=www.thebookseller.com}}</ref> and Private Business of the Year in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Usborne crowned 'private business of the year' {{!}} The Bookseller|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/usborne-crowned-private-business-year-313767|first=Charlotte|last=Eyre|date=2 October 2015|access-date=9 September 2021|website=www.thebookseller.com}}</ref>
Usborne specialised in illustrated children's books: according to his ''Daily Telegraph'' obituary, most of the company's books were "conceived, written and designed in-house".<ref name="Telegraph obit" /> Its best-known books include the Usborne Puzzle Adventure series,<ref name="Bell">{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Alice |title=Anyone else want games of those Usborne Puzzle Adventure books from the 80s and 90s? |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/anyone-else-want-games-of-those-usborne-puzzle-adventure-books-from-the-80s-and-90s |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |date=28 June 2021 |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> the ''World of the Unknown'' series<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Usborne Publishing|url=https://usborne.com/us/books/series/the-world-of-the-unknown|access-date=9 September 2021|website=usborne.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Flood |first1=Alison |title='Ghosts shaped my life': out-of-print children's classic to be resurrected |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/jun/12/ghosts-shaped-my-life-out-of-print-childrens-classic-to-be-resurrected |website=The Guardian |date=12 June 2019 |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Barnett |first1=David |title=The book I got for Christmas: 'Even the cover was terrifying' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/dec/21/the-book-i-got-for-christmas-even-the-cover-was-terrifying |website=The Guardian |date=21 December 2021 |access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> the Book of the Future, Poppy and Sam's Farmyard Tales,<ref name=":0" /> Sticker Dolly Dressing and the "That's not my"<ref name=":0" /> series of touchy-feely board books for babies by Fiona Watt.<ref>{{cite web |title=How this bestselling series from Usborne came about in 1998 {{!}} Toppsta |url=https://toppsta.com/blog/view/that's-not-my-books-author-fiona-watt |website=Toppsta |date=6 July 2017 |access-date=30 March 2023}}</ref>
== Personal life == Usborne said that parenthood had been the greatest privilege of his life, and that publishing children's books had been an extension of that.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who is Peter Usborne? |url=https://faqs-us.usborne.com/article/207-who-is-peter-usborne |publisher=Usborne |access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Usborne Family |url=https://usborne.com/gb/about-us/meet-the-usborne-family |publisher=Usborne |access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref>
In 2007, the Usborne family founded The Usborne Foundation,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Usborne Foundation |url=https://www.usbornefoundation.org.uk/ |access-date=9 September 2021 |website=The Usborne Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> a registered charity<ref name=":1">{{EW charity|4034232|The Usborne Foundation}}</ref> which harnesses research, design and technology to create playful media addressing issues from literacy to health. Teach Your Monster to Read<ref>{{Cite web |title=Teach Your Monster to Read |url=http://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/ |access-date=9 September 2021 |website=www.teachyourmonstertoread.com |language=en}}</ref> is a series of games that has helped millions of children learn to read, funded by The Usborne Foundation. His son, Martin, also runs a publishing company, Hoxton Mini Press.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Hoxton Mini Press publishes collectable photography books. |url=https://www.hoxtonminipress.com/ |access-date=9 September 2021 |website=Hoxton Mini Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hoxtonminipress.com/|title=Good bye, Pa. I love you|publisher=Hoxton Mini Press|access-date=17 April 2023}}</ref>
=== Death === [[File:Usborne, Peter 2023.jpg|thumb|150px|Grave of Peter Usborne, stone carved by Teucer Wilson RDI in Highgate Cemetery]] On 30 March 2023, Usborne died "suddenly but peacefully", surrounded by his family. He was 85. Usborne was survived by his wife, Wendy, children Nicola and Martin, and his five grandchildren.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News from Usborne March 2023 {{!}} Usborne {{!}} Be Curious |url=https://usborne.com/us/news-from-usborne-march-2023 |access-date=30 March 2023 |website=usborne.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Awards and honours == Usborne was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to the publishing industry,<ref name=UK>United Kingdom: {{London Gazette|issue=59647|date=31 December 2010|pages=23|supp=1}}</ref> and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to literature.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 63571 | date = 1 January 2022 | page = N10 | supp = y }}</ref> He was awarded the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.<ref name="bookseller">{{cite web|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/peter-usborne-receive-lbf-lifetime-achievement-award |title=Peter Usborne to receive LBF Lifetime Achievement award|author=Joshua Farrington|website=thebookseller.com|date=6 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="londonbookfair">{{cite web|url=http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/the-hub-media/Press-Releases/Peter-Usbourne-to-receive-The-London-Book-Fair-Lifetime-Achievement-Award-2015/|title=Peter Usborne to receive The London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award 2015|author=|website=The London Book Fair|date=6 March 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Usborne, Peter}} Category:1937 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Category:British publishers (people) Category:Burials at Highgate Cemetery Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:INSEAD alumni Category:Private Eye contributors Category:People educated at Eton College Category:People educated at Summer Fields School