Poster for the 2019 Prix Fu Lei (the Fu Lei Prize) for translation and publication. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China represents a thriving market for the French publishing world, with Mandarin leading as the first language of sale for French publishers and writers for the sixth year in a row. In 2018, Chinese publishers signed 2,033 contracts for the sale of French rights.

Supported by a number of renowned intellectuals including two Nobel Prize laureates, JMG Le Clézio and Mo Yan, the Prix Fu Lei (the Fu Lei Prize) for translation and publication acknowledges essential work by contemporary translators in cultural exchanges between France and France.

Among the 44 books competing for the award this year, a list of 10 finalists was announced Sept 19 at the news conference held in Beijing.

The final selection will be made by a jury chaired by Guillaume Dutournier, a PhD in Chinese language and civilization and director of the Beijing Center of the French School of the Far East. The jury will also include eight permanent members, two winners of the previous edition as well as two guests from the literary and intellectual world, A Lai and Li Keyong.

The winners will be revealed at the award ceremony on Nov 23 at the Fang Suo Commune Bookstore in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province. This bookshop will host literary conferences as well as meetings and book signings for readers to interact with the writers and translators.