Anne of Green Gables makes Chinese influential novel list

Anne of Green Gables is one of the 50 most influential novels in China this year, according to the country's national publishers association.

Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic tale of turn of the 20th century P.E.I. is still in the running for the top prize. The first official Mandarin translation of Anne was offered for sale in China late last year, an initiative of a P.E.I. company.

Anne in China Incorporated president Duncan McIntosh said he first heard from his Chinese publisher that the book had made the list. Given about 10,000 books are published in China annually, McIntosh said it's an impressive achievement.

"We were really excited, as people are when good things happen that you're not expecting," he said.

Other non-Chinese books that made the top 50 are Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and J.K. Rowlings' The Casual Vacancy.

"They've got 5,000 years of literature in China, so there's no shortage of stories amongst that important, important culture," said McIntosh.

"We're just proud that we're welcomed to join the list of Chinese books, along with these other great books that we know from other languages."

Votes for the most influential novel in China continue until Dec. 25. The winner is expected to be announced by the end of this month.