Young readers are more interested in shorter novels and stories from the developing world, she adds.

Since its commencement in 2001, the annual award has been given to 94 novels from 26 countries. Past winners include French writers Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio and Patrick Modiano, who went on to win the Nobel Prize in literature in 2008 and 2014, respectively.

The novels are published in Chinese by the People's Literature Publishing House under the series 21st Century Best Foreign Novel of the Year.

The four winning novels this year were published in Chinese in April.

Liu Yinglun contributed to the story.