Nobel Laureate Mo's works to be on iBooks

BEIJING - Chinese writer Mo Yan's books are set to be offered on Apple's iBooks, his publisher announced on Wednesday, a day after Mo received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm.

Beijing Genuine & Profound Culture Development Co Ltd said the 20 ebooks it is about to launch are the only authorized electronic version of Mo's works and have the full consent and support of the Nobel laureate.

Users of Apple devices will soon be able to download the books, the publisher said. But it did not disclose the exact date for the launch.

"Mo hopes his works can reach more young readers through this platform," said Zhang Yu, manager of a tech company providing support to the launch.

Zhang said the company is working to have Mo's works launched on the Android system as well and eventually on most of the ebook platforms in use globally.

Mo, 57, inspired a China-wide craze for literature after his Nobel win.

His most notable works include "Red Sorghum," "Frog," and "Big Breasts and Wide Hips," which have been translated and published in English, French, Swedish, Spanish, German, Italian and Japanese.

In Mo's works, "hallucinatory realism merges with folk tales, history and the contemporary," according to the official Noble citation.

Monday's Nobel awards ceremony set off another buying rush on Mo's works among Chinese readers.

According to Dangdang.com, China's leading online book retailer, Mo's latest novel, "Frog," has topped bestseller lists for the past 30 days.