Nobel Laureate Mo Yan's new book to be out next week

The book "Our Jing Ke" will be published by the New World Press, according to Chen Liming, board chairman of Beijing Genuine & Profound Culture Development Company.

It is the only authorised publishing company of the new book on the Chinese mainland.

Three plays, "Our Jing Ke", "Farewell to My Concubine" and "Wife of the Boiler Worker" will be included in the book.

Yesterday, Chen said the play "Our Jing Ke" retells a story about Jing Ke, an assassin famous for his failed attempt to kill a king who later became China's first emperor nearly 2,000 years ago. The story is told from new perspectives.

"In the play, Jing Ke's assassination attempt is reinterpreted into a result of his desire for instant fame, rather than a result of chivalry and altruism," Chen was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.

He did not say what the other two plays were about.

Chen said a new anthology of Mo's works, a combination of his novels and essays, will be published at the end of the month.

The publication of Mo's work comes amid a growing craze after the novelist became the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Literature Prize on Thursday.

The buying spree of Mo's books has left bookshops in Chinese cities with empty shelves.

Zhang Xuanyang, a publisher with the Beijing Genuine & Profound Culture Development Company, said more than 20 companies have contacted him to discuss the adaption of Mo's works into films since his success on Thursday.

"Over 10 telecom companies and network operators are in contact with us for the electronic copyright of Mo's works," Xuanyang said.