'The Little Prince' becomes world's most translated book, excluding religious works | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

little prince
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint Exupéry has been translated into its 300th language. Image: courtesy of Editions Aïni Bennaï via AFP Relaxnews

The classic by Antoine Saint Exupéry, originally written in French, has been translated into its 300th language—Hassanya—a North African variant of Arabic, reports Livre Hebdo, citing the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation. This makes “Le Petit Prince” the world’s most translated book, excluding religious works.

This translation celebrates the 90th anniversary of the aviator and author’s arrival in Cape Juby on the coast of southern Morocco. Hassanya is the language spoken by Moorish tribes living in Cape Juby, where the author served as an Aéropostale station manager, and where he found great inspiration for his works.

Antoine Saint Exupéry arrived in Cape Juby in 1927. He wrote his first book “Southern Mail” (“Courrier sud”) while posted in the region.

With this 300th translation, “Le Petit Prince” becomes the world’s most translated book, with the exception of religious works, including the Bible, which is the current record-holder. JB

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