The Nobel Prize Effect

　　Alice Munro expands fan base and arouses dispute between publishers in China

　　The Nobel Prize in literature has always had great influence on China’s readers. However， when news came that this year’s laureate was Canadian author Alice Munro， the Chinese were caught off guard， as the writer and her works were little known in the country.

　　On October 10， the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences announced that the 2013 winner was the 82-year-old Canadian short story writer Munro. In its statement， the Nobel Prize committee called Munro “master of the contemporary short story，” adding that “she is acclaimed for her finely tuned storytelling， which is characterized by clarity and psychological realism.”

　　Li Wenjun， the Chinese translator of Runaway， a collection of short stories by the Nobel laureate， said that “it is no surprise that Chinese readers are not familiar with Munro. People across the country read way too little.” The author’s Nobel success would surely promote Canadian literature in China and across the world， Li noted.

　　Overnight success

　　Munro’s Runaway (2004)， which won the 2009 Man Booker Prize and her only work made available in China， has sold out in many book stores.

　　Chen Mingjun， editor in chief of Xin Jing Dian (or New Classics) Publishing Co.， said the Chinese edition of Runaway has sold about 30，000 copies to date.

　　“After the Nobel Prize results were announced， purchase orders for Runaway via dangdang.com， an online bookstore， increased by over 3，000 a day from October 11 until it was eventually sold out，” he noted.

　　Xin Jing Dian purchased the Chinese copyright for Runaway in 2009 and has stated that it would print another 400，000 volumes as soon as possible to meet increasing demand.

　　Li Yao， editor of foreign literature at Xin Jing Dian， said “It came as a big surprise that Munro won the Nobel Prize.”

　　“As early as 2007， the publishing company signed a cooperation contract with Munro to publish some of her works in the Chinese market. At the time， we believed she would attract readers via her excellent storytelling abilities and feminist perspective， as well as her sense of realism，” Li explained. However， since short stories rarely appeal to Chinese readers， coupled with the author’s low profile and insufficient promotion， sales results were meager.

　　According to Chen， Xin Jing Dian is busy preparing for the future publication of Munro’s latest work Dear Life (2012)， with translation currently under way.

　　Yao Yuan， a translator working on Dear Life， recently told Yanzhao Metropolis Daily that the publication date is determined by many factors. “While some translators can finish other authors’ works in just one month， I’d say Munro’s piece needs time.”

　　“Dear Life is widely regarded as Munro’s best work. Its translation to Chinese should be conducted with prudence and care in honor of the Nobel Prize winner. I’d rather wait longer for a well translated edition，” said Zhi An， a foreign literature critic.

　　Rights dispute

　　Since scooping the Nobel Prize， Munro has triggered a copyright battle between publishers in China.

　　Apart from Xin Jing Dian， Yilin Press and Jiangsu People’s Press have both claimed the Chinese copyright for six of the author’s works and planned to publish Chinese editions shortly. The six pieces include Dance of the Happy Shades (1968， winner of the 1968 Governor General’s Award for Fiction)， Lives of Girls and Women (1971)， The Progress of Love (1986， winner of the 1986 Governor General’s Award for Fiction)， The Love of a Good Woman (1998， winner of the 1998 Giller Prize)， Hateship， Friendship， Courtship， Loveship， Marriage (2001) and Too Much Happiness (2009).

　　Huang Jiakun， a Yilin Press agent， said his company got in contact with Munro’s representative as soon as it was announced that she had won the Nobel prize， and subsequently acquired the Chinese copyright for six of her books.

　　“We understand that the previous copyright， which lay in the hands of Jiangsu People’s Press， had expired. We have also informed the latter of copyright transfer，” Huang said.

　　However， Jiangsu People’s Press refutes the claim.

　　Jiang Weiguo， its editor， told Nandu Weekly that the company had previously purchased the Chinese copyrights for some of Munro’s work， and that it would not expire until 2014. Chinese translations of the six books would be published next month， he added.

　　In addition to the six works， Yilin Press is also expected to publish Munro’s Open Secrets (1994) by the end of this year， the copyright of which remains undisputed.

　　Unknown in China

　　If Munro failed to win the 2013 Nobel Prize， Chinese copyright for her works would probably not have been an issue， since the author has a low profile compared to other more well-known English writers.

　　“Nevertheless， she has won a number of prestigious awards over the past decades， including the Governor General’s Literary Award for English-language fiction (1968， 1978 and 1986) and the Man Booker Prize (2009)，” Yao said.

　　“Munro’s work is far different from fast-food style bestsellers. Her writing often features everyday life resembling a silent river， which hides complicated feelings and moral conflicts beneath its calm surface，” Yao added.

　　The Canadian author has long been likened to famous Russian short story writer Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) by some critics. “Her work tells stories. She has the sophistication of classical realism like Chekhov and the unique perspective of a woman. To some extent， Munro is easier for Chinese readers to accept as a Nobel Prize author，” he explained.

　　As for Munro’s style， Li Wenjun said， “Her work is worth reading. Compared with books by many other English writers， there are not many ups and downs in her works. Figures and events are very common in everyday life， though critical elements mix with the peaceful atmosphere.”

　　“In my opinion， the author’s works echo that of classical writers. Just like feminist classics such as Pride and Prejudice， Munro has achieved a new breakthrough in contemporary literature，” said the translator.