Translationalizing Le Petit Prince to Hong Kong: Exploring a new approach to world literature

The concept of 'world literature,' albeit elusive in its precise definition, was pioneeringly theorized by David Damrosch and is now typically understood as a mode of circulating and reading place-based literatures beyond their cultures of origin, whether in translation or the original language. This article seeks to extend that understanding by rethinking world literature as a mode of translationalization and experiencing. Using several reincarnations of Le Petit Prince (LPP) in Hong Kong as a case study, it first draws on Piotr Blumczynski's reconceptualization of translation and translationality to introduce the notion of translationalization – encompassing diverse translational phenomena whose products connect to the source through material and sensory mediation. The article then analyzes representations of LPP, including a pop-up book, two sculpture exhibitions, and a multisensory event, arguing that these are designed to be experienced rather than merely read. The analysis reveals that these forms of translationalization transform the source text into (multi-)sensory engagements that reframe its meaning and appeal. They also involve acts of authentication, positioning these reincarnations as authorized agents that evoke psychosomatic responses in the audiences of the host culture.