Vale, Peter Usborne

 

Peter Usborne, the founder and Chairman of Usborne Publishing passed away on March 30, 2023, at the age of 85. (Usborne Publishing is sometimes referred to as “Usborne Books” and was rebranded last year as “PaperPie”). Usborne’s death leaves a hole in the world of children's literature, as he was a major influence in the publishing industry for almost 50 years.

Born Thomas Peter Usborne on the 18th August 1937, Usborne grew up in England and attended Eton College and then Oxford University and the INSEAD, a business school in France. Usborne worked for various publishing companies before founding his own, Usborne Publishing, in December 1973.

Usborne was known for his exacting standards and commitment to creating high-quality books that would engage and educate children. Usborne Publishing became successful due to the innovative design, engaging content, and high production values of their books. Recent awards for the company include Independent Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2014, and Private Business of the Year in 2015, and Children's Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020. Peter Usborne, himself, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours, for services to the publishing industry, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours, for services to literature. Peter Usborne also co-founded a charity, The Usborne Foundation.

Controversially, Usborne made use of technology in children's books early on, incorporating interactive elements, pop-ups, and sound effects into books to enhance the reading experience for children. Usborne Publishing also embraced the multi-level marketing phenomenon of the 1990s and distributed books via the “Usborne Books At Home” and “Usborne Books and More” Direct Sales and MLM schemes.

Peter Usborne is survived by his wife, Wendy, children Nicola (who is the current Managing Director of Usborne Books) and Martin, and five grandchildren.