Children's publisher and Private Eye co-founder Peter Usborne dies aged 85

Tributes to 'genius', who had a passion for making books accessible to all

Children's publisher Peter Usborne, who founded Usborne Publishing, has died aged 85.

Usborne was a former managing director of the satirical magazine Private Eye and was made a CBE for his services to literature this year.

His publishing company described him as a "genius" who had a "determination to make books accessible to all children".

Usborne's Billy And The Mini Monsters, Puzzle Adventure, and Farmyard Tales Poppy And Sam book series were among his most popular titles.

He celebrated the 50th anniversary of Usborne Publishing this year. His daughter, Nicola Usborne, described him as a "brilliant, ever curious, ever enthusiastic man" who was also very kind and generous.

She added that he had a "whole day meeting" with HarperCollins US during his very last day. Usborne leaves a wife, Wendy, children Nicola and Martin, and five grandchildren.

Private Eye, which Usborne helped to found, paid tribute to him on Twitter, calling him the driving force and a proud shareholder.

Usborne's dedication to making books accessible to all children has left a lasting impact on the industry.

Usborne will be remembered as an inspirational leader and a kind and generous man who made a significant contribution to the world of literature.