Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince handwritten notes will be auctioned at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, which kicks off on November 20, with an estimated value of $1.25 million. This rare treasure is expected to attract collectors worldwide, especially from Asia and the Arab world.
A specialist London bookstore is offering a rare piece of literary history: an original typescript of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince, featuring the author’s handwritten corrections and revisions. This unique treasure will be sold at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2024, with an expected price of at least $1.25 million.
The typescript, alongside Saint-Exupery’s passport issued by the French Ministry of Culture, was acquired earlier this year by rare books specialist Peter Harrington. While the exact sum paid remains undisclosed, the significance of this typescript lies in its history.
The typescript includes Saint-Exupery’s famous phrase, “One only sees clearly with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes,” as well as numerous drawings. According to Sammy Jay, of Peter Harrington Rare Books, it is one of only three known versions, with one housed at the French National Library (BNF).
“Unlike the other two versions, which were given to different people, this one remained with Saint-Exupery as his working copy, which makes it especially unique,” said Jay. This version contains handwritten corrections and previously unpublished passages, adding to its rarity.
The sale of such an extraordinary piece is uncommon in the rare book market, where multimillion-dollar price tags are not the norm. Jay compared it to the typescript of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, which fetched $2.4 million in 2001.
“The market for rare books seldom sees items of this caliber,” Jay noted, adding that interest in the Little Prince typescript is high, with potential buyers likely to include private collectors or museums in Asia or the Arab world.
The Little Prince remains one of the most sold books worldwide, surpassing the combined sales of Harry Potter and The Hobbit. Saint-Exupery wrote the story while exiled in the United States in 1942, and the book was published there in 1943. Sadly, the author never witnessed its global success, having disappeared during a 1944 aerial mission over the Mediterranean.
With AFP
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