The Little Prince Is the Most Translated Novel of All Time

Originally published in France, 1943, The Little Prince is a short story written by the French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The book has since become a massive hit and has now been translated into its 300th language, Hassanya — a North African variant of Arabic. This has made The Little Prince the most translated book in the world, excluding religious texts.

This translation celebrates the 90th anniversary of the author’s arrival to Cape Juby on the coast of southern Morocco, where Antoine served as an Aéropostale station manager and found inspiration that fuelled his works. As CTV News reports, Hassanya is the language spoken by Moorish tribes living in Cap Juby.

Antoine travelled to Cape Juby in 1927 and there he wrote his first book “Souther Mail.” The Little Prince has become one of the best-selling books of all time and sells around two million copies every year.

The Little Prince US
The Little Prince UK

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry led an equally extraordinary life himself. Working as a commercial airline pilot before the Second World War, he joined the French Air Force and fought against the Nazi’s until France signed the armistice in 1940. He then travelled to the United States where he attempted to persuade the government to join the allies. He then went on to join the Free French Air Force in North Africa. He disappeared over the Mediterranean on a reconnaissance mission in July 1944 at the age of 44.