Scramble to publish Nobel laureate's works in Chinese

Herta Muller (pictured), winner of the 2009 Nobel prize for literature, has caught publishing houses in the Chinese mainland unawares - none of the books of the new Nobel laureate have yet been translated and published.

But they are reacting fast. Within a week of the unveiling of the prestigious prize, three of the nation's leading publishing houses engaged in translating foreign literature, are gearing up for action.

Nanjing-based Yilin Press, Beijing-based People's Literature Publishing House, and Shanghai Translation Publishing House have expressed interest in purchasing the copyright, despite having little expectation from the market.