BEIJING - Eight items of literary works published on the Internet will join another 170 novels to compete for the Mao Dun Literature Prize, one of China's most prestigious literary awards, according to the Chinese Writers Association (CWA), the prize's sponsor.

This is the first time that Internet novels have been accepted as qualified candidates for the prize, which is awarded to no more than five novels every four years, the CWA said in a press conference Thursday.

The winners will be selected as a result of two rounds of voting from a committee of 62 judges who are literature professionals.

Recent years have shown a growing trend of Internet-based publication of literary works in China, whose number of Internet users climbed to 477 million this year.

In an earlier talk with media, Chen Qirong, a spokesman with the CWA, said that by opening the doors for Internet novels, China's mainstream awards have begun to recognize the rising influence of Internet literature.