The Little Prince still resonates in a world yearning for solidarity
CBC Radio | Posted: March 29, 2016 12:21 PM | Last Updated: March 30, 2016
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry really was kind to children, says Thomas de Koninck. The philosopher and rumoured inspiration for Le Petit Prince was only a boy when he met the famous author and aviator, who took a genuine interest in children at a time when they were typically "told to shut up".
De Koninck and Studio Saint-Ex author Ania Szado join Shad to discuss why the magical children's story, published in 1943, stills resonates in 2016.
"It's as fresh today as it was when it was published. It strikes very deep chords in human beings," says de Koninck.
Szado also shares the story of the author's own mysterious disappearance at the age of 44, and how it fits in with Little Prince lore.
WEB EXTRA | Guillaume Côté on Le Petit Prince ballet
The golden-haired boy still inspires today. Three major adaptations — all unrelated to one another — have suddenly appeared this year: a major animated motion picture, a new musical, and a full length ballet.
The latter project, spearheaded by Guillaume Côté for National Ballet of Canada, is the first full-length Canadian ballet in a decade.
Here's a great anecdote from Côté that we didn't get to play on air, explaining how his own life mirrors that of the Little Prince.