Over 17.5 mln authors committed to online literature creation in China

More than 17.5 million writers have been engaged in the creation of online literary works since the advent of Internet-oriented novels over two decades ago in China, the People's Daily reported Wednesday.

The writers have published a total of 25 million novels online, said the newspaper citing figures released at a recent forum on Internet literature held in Chifeng, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The readership of the literary form has grown to around 460 million, the newspaper said.

Internet literature is playing an increasingly important role in promoting the development of China's cultural industry, it added.