Minna Lacey (Author) Since joining Usborne, Minna has written books on everything from pirates and gladiators to jungles and oceans. She studied Maths and Philosophy at university and previously worked as a journalist and illustrator in London, Bogota and New York. In her spare time, she loves writing stories, drawing and playing the guitar.Lara Bryan (Author) Lara has loved books since the days of being read bedtime stories by her Irish dad and French mum. At school she set up a secondhand bookshop called Books Change Lives, and went on to study English and Italian at Oxford University. After teaching in Italy and Myanmar, she got her dream job as a writer for Usborne Publishing. From explaining how economics works, to inventing boredom-busting activities, to telling a good dragon yarn, she's enjoyed every minute of the job.