The original typescript of “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry will be up for sale at the Abu Dhabi Art 2024 fair, with an estimated price of at least $1.25 million. Alongside the manuscript, Saint-Exupéry’s passport, issued by the French culture ministry, will also be featured at the event, which begins on November 20.
This unique typescript, which includes hand-drawn illustrations by Saint-Exupéry and his famous phrase “One only sees clearly with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes,” was acquired by Peter Harrington Rare Books earlier this year for an undisclosed amount. According to Sammy Jay from Peter Harrington, this typescript is one of only three known versions. The others are held by private individuals and the National Library of France (BNF).
“Unlike the other two which were given to people, he kept this one, and it was his own working copy of the typescript, so that’s what makes it extra special,” Jay explained. In addition to handwritten corrections, this version also contains passages that were later removed from the final publication.
While rare books don’t typically command prices in the millions, Jay noted that “something of this status” is highly unusual in the rare books market. He compared it to the sale of the scroll typescript for Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” which fetched $2.4 million in 2001.
“The Little Prince” has sold more copies than both the first “Harry Potter” book and “The Hobbit” combined, making it one of the best-selling books in history. The typescript has attracted significant interest, with expectations that it will be purchased by a museum or private collector, possibly from Asia or the Arab world.
Saint-Exupéry wrote the beloved tale during his exile in the United States in 1942, following his escape from Nazi-occupied France. The book was first published in the US in 1943, and the author left for North Africa the same year to join the war effort. Tragically, Saint-Exupéry disappeared during a flying mission over the Mediterranean Sea in July 1944 and never lived to witness the global success of his book.
