That statistic ranks it among the most translated and widely read books ever written. Mystery writer agatha christie has the distinction of the world s most translated author with 7,233 translations almost 3,000 more than the next most popular, jules verne. Best translated novels score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the bible is the worlds bestselling and most widely distributed book. With translated works comprising only about 3 percent of the published books in the united states, getting a book translated into even one language is a big success. List of most translated individual authors wikipedia. Most people know that i love brick and mortar book stores and wherever i travel both within the u. This page provides list of most translated individual authors to date sorted by the total. Translated works and authors database at the unesco website 50 of th e worl d s most translated books, infographic prepar ed by the tr anslation company group full list of sources in cluded the most translated author s in the world. Next to the bible and the bhagavad gita, the tao te ching is the most translated book in the world. Chapman created the list by examining how many individual copies of the books had been printed and sold over the last 50 years. Worlds most translated books 2015 published by statista research department, mar 9, 2015 the graph presents data on most translated books in the world as of 2015. Book readership in the united states from 2000 to 2012. While most, if not all websites seek to reach as many people as possible, the bible purports to attempt to reach all people.
There are plenty of famous works which the englishspeaking world would never have known about without the presence of a translator or. Audio download options the watchtowerno other magazine comes close. This fabulous book about a young mans journey to egypt was originally written in portuguese by paulo coelho, a brazilianborn author, and is one of the most recent bestselling books in history. List of literary works by number of translations wikipedia. The most important thing about our publications being translated is the fact that all people should come to know that the one whose name is jehovah,is the most high in the all the universe. Here is a look at some of the most translated books of all time. Jan 02, 2019 5 of the most translated childrens books that are known and loved the world over. It has been translated into at least 24 languages and probably more. The last four books in the series consecutively set records as the fastestselling books of all time, where the final installment, harry potter and the deathly hallows, sold roughly fifteen million copies worldwide within twentyfour hours of its release.
Translated works and authors database at the unesco website 50 of th e worl d s most. Most translators know that the bible is the most translated book ever. Scholars can debate endlessly over which book is the best of all time, but finding out which ones have enjoyed the most commercial success should be a more concrete endeavor. Each issue has a print run of more than 42 million copies. Ten of the best new books in translation from a dutch family saga to a murdered witch in mexico, these novels will transport you from a bleak tourist town at. All of his books are international successes, leading the way the alchemist of it as the most translated book in the world and also qualified for the guinness book of world records. Most translated books in the world responsive translation. Unsurprisingly, childrens books and fairy tales dominate the list of the most translated books throughout history. Ten of the best new books in translation fiction in. May 04, 2018 unsurprisingly, childrens books and fairy tales dominate the list of the most translated books throughout history. The topic of the most translated book in the world is one which is often up for question.
However, what they dont know is that the number of bible translations varies depending on how you count the translations. A new milestone for the world s most translated website. The world s most widely distributed book the bible is the most widely read book in history. The most popular work of fiction in the world, in terms of the number of languages it has been translated into, the 1883 literary wonder has been read across the. Discover the most tranlated books in the human history. The bible has also been translated more times, and into more languages, than any other book. However, our top 7 most translated books today will exclude religious works and focus on other literacy works. Thirukkural translations in different languages of the world. Researcher james chapman has compiled this look at the top 10 most read books in the world. May 09, 2012 number of books read in the past 12 months in the u. This is a list of literary works sorted by the number of languages they have been translated into.
Translated works and authors database at the unesco website 50 of the worlds most translated books, infographic prepared. This year, translator avery fischer udagawa took up the challenge to put together 100 more. Jun 23, 2015 the most popular literary works in the world are often translated into various languages to ensure that bookstores all over the world have copies of it and that people all of all cultures and languages are afforded the same opportunity to own a copy in their own language. We hope that the list will inspire you to open your mind and find a book. Just as the model prayer set out for us by jesus christ, the first priority for true christians is that gods name, jehovah,must be made known. The little prince is now the mosttranslated book in the. This chinese tract, also known as the tao te ching, is believed to have been created by the sage laozi in the 6th century bc. It is the oldest religious text in known existence. This series of seven fantasy novels chronicles the adventures of a young wizard. In celebration of world book day, goodreads recently announced 40 of the most popular translated books on the site, writing that the joy of reading is universalthats why were shining a spotlight on some of the most popular translated books on goodreads. And where would the world of books be without translation and interpretation.
Nov 02, 2004 i think we may end up finding that the top 10 translated books might be 10 of the 100 most influential books or at least the big majority of the 10 would be in that 100. The most translated songs of all time day translations blog. The worlds most widely distributed book watchtower. French in 1943 and it has since gained worldwide popularity, being translated into at least 300 languages. The book has been adapted into over 240 languages worldwide, according to extensive research done by the fondazione nazionale carlo collodi in the late 1990s based on unesco sources. It is a fundamental text for taoism, in both religious and philosophical terms. Post, director of open letter books, which specializes in great books in translation, as well as the web site three percent, gives us the benefit of his years of working with world.
With the quran being islams most sacred text, it is clear why this book has become one of the most impactful in the world. Reading books on ipads in the united states in 2012. Its india, thailand, and china, where readers spend the most time with books. At least one of its sixtysix books have been translated into over 3000 languages, the new testament into over 0 languages. While the most translated website and the most translated book in the world are both religious in their nature, the most translated author is, surprisingly, nothing to do with religion. However, it can be difficult to find the right books to use for studying a new. Check out this slide show and you might just be surprised to see some familiar books, including one written by a seventhday adventist. Wow that is amazing and quite surprising at the same time.
Lets take a look at the worlds eight most translated authors and some of their most famous works. The most translated book after the bible by zig2ryme04. The most translated songs of all time are difficult to determine. Most translated books best, greatest of everything ranked. David mclain spent two years traveling to the blue zones regions and collected 500year old recipes from the world s longestlived people. This world translation day, heres the list of the top 5 translated books in the world.
For instance, name a culture on the planet that doesnt love a good story. Click on up and down arrows to affect items ranking. Rowlings harry potter series, which is the most successful movie franchise in the world, ranked third with 400 million copies sold worldwide. With 469 translations, its easily the most translated text in human history. The number of translations the books has had ranges from abkhaz to zulu. However, we wanted to share some exciting news the website now has content available in a staggering 1,000 languages, including 100 sign languages. The books that made the largest impact in the world. A survey by the bible society concluded that around 2. Other top writers in unescos ranking include masters of scifi, suspense and romance as well as three writers of childrens books.
Lots of em have been printed through the centuries, but you may be surprised about which ones have been translated the most. Some titles may have had more copies printed than some of these books, but a vast number of those books were not sold, so well assume that they did not get read. The watchtower has a circulation larger than any other magazine in the world. The worlds most translated books the translation company. The little prince is now the mosttranslated book in the world, excluding religious works. Writer james chapman created a list of the most read books in the world based on the number of copies each book sold over the last 50 years he found. While the most translated book is christianitys highest text, the bible, the majority of the worlds most translated books actually arent religious. Some are fixated on certain periods, where they either dig the classics or they go with the times and are familiar with the current genre, be it rock, pop. Books book translation sharing the joy and beauty of the original content. The bible has been translated into at least 670 languages. Islam is the world s second largest religion, consisting of 24. These are 8 of the most translated authors in the world today. Its only been two months since our last update of this article. The top 10 most translated books in the world eurotrad.
The bible bible has been translated into 683 languages, the new testament has been translated into additional 1,534 languages and bible portions or stories into 1,3 other languages. Universal declaration in 370 languages the universal declaration of human rights has set a new world record of being the most translated text. All records listed on our website are current and uptodate. While the holy bible is the most translated book in the history of the world, paulo coelhos the alchemist, published. The most translated works of all time one hour translation. Most translated books best, greatest of everything. Best translated novels score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. While conversation is great, its through reading that we get exposed to a wide variety of vocabulary. The most translated book after the bible religion nigeria. Don quixote, the tale of a spanish knight driven mad by reading too many chivalric romances, was yesterday voted the best book of all time in a survey of around 100 of the world.
As you can see from the graphic below created by designer jared fanning, the bible leads the countdown by a large margin. The worlds ten most translated authors translation. Apr 22, 2020 with translated works comprising only about 3 percent of the published books in the united states, getting a book translated into even one language is a big success. Ancient wisdom from the second most translated book in the world. Its an established fact in the literary world that americans just arent that motivated to read fiction in translation. Translated works and authors database at the unesco website 50 of the worlds most translated books, infographic prepared by the translation company group full list of sources included the most translated authors in the world. Paulo coelho wrote the bestselling novel, the alchemist, which sold 35 million copies and is the most translated book in the world by a living author. Translated books showing 150 of 28,866 the vegetarian hardcover by. Coelho is enthusiastic about the internet and for a long time and supports the free download of his books. The most translated book in the world is the rhapsody of realities, written by pastor chris oyakhilome phd. The first novel in the series, harry potter and the sorcerers stone, has sold in excess of 120 million copies, making it one of the bestselling books of all time. Mystery writer agatha christie has the distinction of the worlds mosttranslated author with 7,233 translations almost 3,000 more than the next most popular, jules verne. Learning a new language with the worlds most famous books. The chinese claim that their classic tao te ching by lao tzu is the world s most translated book.
Over the last year and a half we read some of narnia, most of roald dahl, a series of unfortunate events, and others. If we were to ask you what the most translated book in the world might be, youd likely get it right. As of june 2017, the series has been translated into 80 languages, placing harry potter among historys most translated literary works. We can just look at the sales numbers and rank them.
Blue zones kitchen captures the way of eating that yielded the. Jan 2, 2019 as a child, i loved it when my parents read stories to me, and even today, recalling my favourite childhood stories still makes me feel the same way i did back then. Strangely, noone so far has mentioned the unescos index translationum. The book has been translated in over 660 languages of the world. Rhapsody of realities is now in over 600 languages. Jul 08, 20 the most popular christmas carol in many different cultures is also one of the most translated songs in the world. The bible is easily one of the bestselling books of all time, but exact sales numbers are hard to nail down. There are a lot of books in the world, but not all of them catch on with readers and even fewer get translated around the world. Its a mixture of classics like anna karenina and the odyssey, current bestsellers like the girl with. Jun 11, 2014 the 20 most translated texts in history the content in this article is compiled from data and does not reflect ingco internationals opinions or views. By avery fischer udagawa september is world kid lit month, a time to notice if global stories are reaching kids in the form. The worlds most translated books leopold classic library. List of most translated individual authors list of bestselling books index translationum.
At least one of its sixtysix books have been translated into over 3000 languages, the new testament into over 0 languages, and the entire work into more than 550 languages. Other religious books and pamphlets also feature on the list of the worlds most translated publications, thanks to the work of jehovahs. The 21 bestselling books of all time howstuffworks. Top 10 most read books in the world based on number of books printed and sold over the last 50 years. The most translated book in the world after the holy bible. The most translated books in human history quicksilver translate. A six page document entitled universal declaration of human rights, produced by the united nations in 1948, has been translated into 370 languages and dialects from abkhaz to zulu as of 2009. Both magazines are published by jehovahs witnesses and are distributed in 236 lands. A certified translation of books is not generally needed, but literature is still very close to our hearts. Each group of people has their own choices, mostly dependent on the genre they enjoy, the performing artists and time. Yet, some books worldwide have the honor of being translated into numerous languages. The declaration arose from the experience of ww ii and was drafted on 10 december 1948.
Jul 27, 2016 while the most translated website and the most translated book in the world are both religious in their nature, the most translated author is, surprisingly, nothing to do with religion. Pippi longstocking tells the story of a young orphaned girl with crazy red pigtails. Last world kid lit month, i put together a list of 100 translated childrens books from around the world. Ancient wisdom from the second most translated book in the. Books with the most translations worldwide 2015 statista. The worlds ten most translated authors translation excellence. I also went back to reading to both my kids at night. Aside from the bible, with 475 translations for the whole bible and 112 translations for the quran, the most translated literary works are the wellknown classics, old and new.
The most translated book in the world is bhagvadgita, this is the only book which was translated in almost every language of the world 692 views view 2 upvoters related questions more answers below. We have found and listed 20 of the most translated texts throughout history. The worlds most widely distributed book watchtower online. The graph presents data on most translated books in the world as of 2015. The most translated work in the history of the world is the christian bible. Are you looking for a book written in your target language. Agatha christie is beloved by all those with a taste for mystery novels. To celebrate world book day weve created an infographic that takes a look at 50 of the worlds most translated books, from the alchemist first published in portuguese to wolf totem mandarin. One of the most beloved stories of all time can now be enjoyed by even more readers. Sep 30, 2017 last world kid lit month, i put together a list of 100 translated childrens books from around the world.
Having sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, harry potter by j. I worked on several things, i moved all our books out into the living room from our bedrooms, their books and my books are all in one spot on a big shelf. Apr 15, 2016 the most translated work in the history of the world is the christian bible. Reading is fundamental for the progress of language learning. Don quixote is the worlds best book say the worlds top. The 20 most translated texts in history ingco international. Globally loved childrens books these are the 5 most. With books like and then there were none and murder on the orient express no wonder she is the most translated author on the planet. As of june 2017, the series has been translated into 80. Stille nacht, heilige nacht has since been translated into 100 languages and is known to english speakers as silent night. More copies have been distributed of the bible than of any other book. Top ten translated books of all time lintelligence artificielle. We hope that the list will inspire you to open your mind and find a book that speaks to you, whatever your mother tongue. That includes video and audio content as well as written articles.
Three percent, a literary blog hosted by the university of rochester. Top ten translated books of all time optima translation. Translation, translated, literature, worldwide, ingco international, ingco, global, translation services, texts. With 469 translations, its easily the most translated text. Oct 05, 2017 thousands of books around the world are translated each year and some of them are reprinted decade after decade for their millions of readers and fans. I would never have guessed that the jehovahs witness website would outrank all others, they cover more languages than most of the big players combined. Ten of the most translated books across the globe ulatus.
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