Chinese food delivery rider wins country's top literary prize for poetry

A Chinese food delivery rider who has written thousands of poems inspired by his work has won one of the country's highest literary honours, highlighting the growing recognition of grassroots writers in China, Sixth Tone reports.

Wang Jibing, 57, received the Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection Low Flight, according to the awards announced on July 15. Established in 1996 in memory of renowned Chinese writer Lu Xun, the prize is awarded every four years and this year recognised 35 works across seven categories.

Known as "a delivery rider by day and a poet by night," Wang has worked as a food delivery rider in Kunshan, eastern Jiangsu province, since 2019. During that time, he has travelled more than 150,000 kilometres and written over 6,000 poems inspired by his deliveries and everyday life.

Speaking after receiving the award, Wang said: "I made deliveries yesterday, and as long as I live in Kunshan, I'll keep delivering food." Although literary events and book royalties have become an additional source of income, he has previously described food delivery as his "side hustle."

Low Flight, Wang's third published poetry collection, draws on interviews with more than 140 delivery riders to shed light on the realities of gig-economy work. He said he hoped readers "would better understand the challenges they face."

Reflecting on the changing literary landscape, Wang told domestic media: "Literature used to be like a pyramid, with everyone's attention fixed on the few people at the top. Now it's turning its focus to the base, giving voice to the silent majority."

Born into a rural family, Wang left school in middle school and worked in a range of manual jobs, including construction and waste collection, before becoming a delivery rider. He is also a father of three and runs a small grocery shop with his wife.

Despite his growing reputation, Wang has expressed caution about the attention he receives because of his occupation.

"Now, every type of publicity is tied to my identity," he said in an earlier interview. "People automatically see your writing as coming from the bottom of society. They tend to read it with sympathy, or even pity. I'm grateful for the praise, but I take it cautiously because much of it isn't purely about the literature. I know I still have a long way to go as a writer."

By Aghakazim Guliyev