Rare “The Little Prince” Typescript with Handwritten Notes to Go on Sale for $1.25 Million

A rare typescript of The Little Prince, one of the world’s most beloved and translated books, is set to be sold for $1.25 million at the Abu Dhabi Art Festival this November. The typescript, created by author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry while in exile in New York during the 1940s, is one of only three known to exist.

This remarkable document contains not only the typed text of the story but also Saint-Exupéry’s personal handwritten notes and sketches, making it a priceless artifact for fans of the book. The typescript is being sold by Peter Harrington Rare Books, and according to senior literature specialist Sammy Jay, its availability is an “extremely rare event.”

Saint-Exupéry wrote Le Petit Prince in French during World War II while living in New York, where he had taken refuge after fleeing Nazi-occupied France. The story, published in 1943, tells the tale of a stranded pilot who encounters a mysterious boy—the Little Prince—who has traveled from a distant planet. It has since sold millions of copies worldwide.

Following the book’s publication, Saint-Exupéry returned to Europe to serve in the Free French air force. He tragically disappeared during a reconnaissance mission, and the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery.

The original handwritten manuscript of The Little Prince is housed in New York, while the other two known typescripts are held by France’s national library and the Harry Ransom Center in Texas.