Man Wins Top Literary Prize in China

A 56-year-old Chinese food delivery rider, Wang Jibing, has won the prestigious Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection Low Flight, which explores the everyday struggles of delivery workers in China’s gig economy, according to a report.

Wang’s journey to national recognition in literature is remarkable, having worked various jobs, including construction and collecting recyclable waste, before becoming a food deliveryman around 2019.

The Lu Xun Literary Prize is among China’s most respected literary accolades, named after Lu Xun, often regarded as the father of modern Chinese literature.

Wang’s latest collection, published in 2024, draws on interviews and surveys he conducted with around 200 delivery riders.

He first gained attention online through poems and essays he shared on social media, gradually building a following over the past decade.

Wang was born in Jiangsu province and left school as a teenager due to financial difficulties at home.

Despite the demands of work, Wang continued reading and writing, inspired by his experiences as a delivery worker.

His poem Man in a Hurry went viral online in 2022, inspired by an incident in 2019 where he spent hours trying to complete a delivery after a customer entered the wrong address.

Wang published his first poetry collection, Man in a Hurry: Poems of a Food Delivery Rider, a year later.

After learning he had won the prize, Wang told journalists that he felt “extremely nervous” and that the attention surrounding him had brought considerable mental pressure.

Despite his latest achievement, Wang said he has no plans to leave his delivery job, as he loves the work and it keeps him fit.

He added that the award will never change who he is, and he wants a simple life.

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One of the lines in Low Flight reads: “Who says spreading your wings means flying high? Flying low is also flying.”

Wang’s success comes amid growing recognition for blue-collar writers in China, whose works have offered readers a window into the realities of working-class life.

Former courier Hu Anyan‘s memoir I Deliver Parcels in Beijing became a bestseller in China in 2023, while migrant worker Fan Yusu‘s autobiographical essay I am Fan Yusu went viral in 2017.

Lu Xun’s work continues to resonate with younger generations.

For people like Wang, winning the Lu Xun Literary Prize means more than just recognition – it shows the power of storytelling to give voice to the experiences of China’s working class.