The 2nd Sanmao Prose Awards will take place in Dinghai district in Zhoushan, an island city in East China's Zhejiang province, along with an assortment of other activities.

Hosted by the Zhejiang Writers Association and the Zhoushan government, the award, named after the famous writer Sanmao, is given out every two years and the ceremony is open to all Chinese writers across the country.

Sanmao (1943 –1991), or Echo Chan, was a Chinese contemporary novelist, writer and translator born in Southwest China's Chongqing. Sanmao was her penname, which she adopted from a Chinese comic book.

As a legendary literary icon, her work ranges from autobiographical writing to travel notes and novels.

Sanmao's family was from Dinghai. At the age of six, she moved to Taiwan with her family, and in 1989, she returned to Dinghai to visit her relatives. "I'm coming home. I can't believe this is happening. It's like a dream," she said.

Sanmao rides a bike in Dinghai, Zhoushan in 1989. [File photo]

Dinghai created the award to commemorate the writer and to promote the development of prose, a form of literature.

To attract more Chinese writers, the number of winners will be increased this year, and the New Writers Award for young writers will also be introduced. Additionally, prose works recommended by the press, magazines and writers associations will also be accepted.

Since the award was introduced in October 2016, a total of 590 articles have been collected from overseas and domestic writers.