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To celebrate the spirit of the Fête de la Francophonie, the French Embassy in the United States in partnership with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation invites French-speaking students to take part in the Antoine de Saint Exupéry - Petit Prince 2023 Writing Contest.
This novella was written by French aristocrat, writer, and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry featuring the author's own illustrations. It was first published in English and French in the US by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943, and posthumously in France following the liberation –since Saint-Exupéry's works had been banned by the Vichy Regime. It has been translated into hundreds of languages and has sold some 200 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling books in publishing history.
Many critics drew parallels between the characters and events of The Little Prince and the life of its author, who wrote the book while living in New York City, having fled the turmoil of World War II in France. Like the narrator, Saint-Exupéry was a pilot who experienced a plane crash in a desert (Libya). His wife, Consuelo, is also said to have had erratic behavior similar to that of the prince’s rose—a parallel further emphasized by Consuelo’s later autobiography, The Tale of the Rose (written in 1945 and published in 2000). Thus, the narrator and little prince have been viewed as expressions of different aspects of Saint-Exupéry himself. Saint-Exupery disappeared mysteriously during a night flight over the Mediterranean in July 1944.
...le petit prince est revenu aux Etats-Unis en 2023
This contest, with its long history of promoting new ideas and innovation, is happy to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the publication (in French and in English) of Antoine de Saint Exupéry's major work; the Little Prince (Le Petit Prince), one of the most translated and read novels in the world. This edition of our contest will offer all French-speaking classes and learners, including public and private schools, Alliance françaises, and the FLAM association in the United States the opportunity to take part in a major writing and drawing contest based on the Little Prince.
This contest is open for two age groups of French learners:
Participants, along with French teachers, are invited to use the accompanying document that will allow teachers and classrooms to dive deeper into the world of the Little Prince all while answering questions based on themes of friendship, love, and unity.
Feeling inspired? Individual participants are invited to submit a short text in French of one-page maximum (5000 characters) following the guidelines in this online form HERE
Looking to create an activity in your classroom? Register HERE!
Upon registering, starting March 1st, you will receive, via email, access to the workbook which will allow you to create an activity and encourage students to take on a journey like the Little Prince answering questions on the theme of friendship, love, and unity.
We are grateful to our generous project partners: France Channel, Bayard & Milan USA, Culturethèque, and Media Library - France in the US.
