Bilingual French-Welsh edition of 'The Little Prince' given to all schools

This unique publication celebrates Wales’s important cultural links with France and has been distributed to every school in Wales to coincide with UNESCO's International Mother Language Day on 21 February.

The special edition features a joint foreword from the Cabinet Secretary for Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford, in his former role as First Minister, the French Ambassador to the UK and the UK Ambassador to France, highlighting the strong cultural ties between the two nations.

Launching the book at Ysgol Pencae in Cardiff today to launch the book, Mark Drakeford said: "This bilingual edition opens new doors for our learners, bringing together Welsh and French literature to celebrate our languages and cultures. By giving this book to all schools, learners will be encouraged to engage with literature from around the world as set out in our Curriculum for Wales.”

Led by Honorary Consul of France to Wales, Céline Jones the project is a collaboration between Welsh Government and leading businesses including Airbus, Bouygues, and Capital Law. France has an important economic relationship with Wales – According to the 2023 ONS data, there are around 85 French-owned companies in Wales, employing 9,000 people.

France is our 4th largest inward investor in terms of individual investments and 4th largest export market for Welsh goods in 2022. Over the past 12 years, investments by French companies have created or safeguarded over 10,000 jobs in Wales.

Céline Jones also attended the launch. She said: "'The Little Prince' speaks to universal themes of curiosity, exploration, and discovery. Having this treasured story available in both Welsh and French will inspire our young people to explore new languages and cultures."

This initiative supports the Welsh Government's commitment to international languages in schools and promotes literacy through world literature.