Tales of Aladdin and Their Tellers, from Aleppo to Paris

We're all familiar with the classic tale of Aladdin, which has been retold countless times since its first print publication in 1712 (most recently, in Disney's top-grossing 2019 film remake). Despite Aladdin's popularity, few people are aware of the story's origins, the encounters between cultures, languages, and storytellers that shaped it into the tale we know today. In this essay, Paulo Lemos Horta, author of Marvellous Thieves: Secret Authors of the Arabian Nights and editor of Aladdin: A New Translation (with Yasmine Seale), introduces us to a traveler from Aleppo whose key contribution to the story of Aladdin has only recently come to light.