Original 'Little Prince' typescript to go under hammer in UAE

A specialist London bookstore is selling an original typescript of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's children's classic "The Little Prince", complete with the author's hand-written corrections and revisions. The battered book and Saint-Exupery's French Ministry of Culture-issued passport go on sale in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, with an asking price of at least $1.25 million.

It was acquired earlier this year for an undisclosed sum by rare books specialist store Peter Harrington. The typescript also contains numerous drawings by the author as well as his famous phrase "One only sees clearly with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes". Peter Harrington Rare Books said it was one of three known versions of the transcript, one of which is held by the National Library of France.