Samogitian  (2024)

A gift for Lithuania, Samogitia and book lovers: ‘The Little Prince’ in Samogitian

The year 2024 has been proclaimed the Year of Samogitian Writing in Lithuania, and a special publication - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's ‘The Little Prince’ in Samogitian - has been released. Publishing in Samogiatian one of the world's most widely read literary classics, which fascinates children and adults all over the world, is a joint idea of the M. Čiuželis Charitable Foundation and our Foundation. The idea was born in the summer of 2023, during a visit by Marius Čiuželis to the Foundation.

The book's translator is a renowned linguist, Professor Juozas Pabrėža, one of the pioneers of Samogitian publishing and the creator of the Samogitian spelling rules. According to him, the most important objective was to preserve the humanist spirit of the ‘Little Prince’ during the translation and at the same time reveal the unique character of the Samogitian language, which has three different dialects: north-western, southern and western.

The project is multifaceted. For its creators, the aim is not only to disseminate the literary work and the Samogi language, but also to pursue philanthropic objectives. The very first edition of the book, which sold out just two weeks after publication, was distributed free of charge to schools, libraries and anyone who loved the Samogitian language or wanted to learn it. The audio book was recorded by the well-known Lithuanian actress and singer Austėja Gendvilaitė-Austieja, who sings only in Samogitan. It can be ordered at: www.mazasis-princas.lt

During the book tour at the National Library and throughout Lithuania, a large audience gathered to hear the story of how the idea of publishing a book came about, the challenges of translation and readings of The Little Prince in Samogitian.