Delivered food by day, wrote poems by night: This 56-year-old man won China's top literary prize

A Chinese food delivery rider who wrote poems during breaks between deliveries has won one of the country’s highest literary honours, marking a remarkable journey from odd jobs and financial hardship to national recognition in literature, according to a report by the BBC.

Wang Jibing, 56, has been awarded the prestigious Lu Xun Literary Prize for Low Flight, a poetry collection inspired by the everyday struggles and experiences of delivery workers in China’s vast gig economy. Named after Lu Xun, often regarded as the father of modern Chinese literature, the award is among China’s most respected literary accolades.

Wang, who became a delivery rider around 2019, first gained attention online through poems and essays he shared on social media. His latest collection, published in 2024, draws on interviews and surveys he conducted with around 200 delivery riders.

A long road to recognition

For Wang, the recognition follows decades of working various jobs. Born in Jiangsu province, he left school as a teenager because of financial difficulties at home. Over the years, he worked in construction, collected recyclable waste and ran a street stall before becoming a food deliveryman.

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Despite the demands of work, Wang continued reading and writing. Over the past decade, he regularly posted his poems and essays online, gradually building a following.

“I held my breath and felt extremely nervous… Once it was revealed, everything was settled,” Wang told state media outlet Global Times on July 15 after learning that he had won the prize. He added that the attention surrounding him had brought considerable mental pressure.

The prize money is not publicly known, though winners received 100,000 Chinese yuan (approximately ₹14.2 lakh, $14,800; £11,000) in 2014.

The poem that went viral

Wang’s rise to prominence began in 2022 when his poem Man in a Hurry went viral online. The poem was inspired by an incident in 2019 in which he spent hours trying to complete a delivery after a customer entered the wrong address.

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

Despite his latest achievement, Wang said he has no plans to leave his delivery job.

“Financially I don’t need this job to make a living, but I love the vibe of the work and it keeps me fit,” he said, according to the Global Times report. “I want a down-to-earth life and the award will never change who I am.”

Low Flight reflects the lives and challenges of delivery workers. One of its lines reads: “Who says spreading your wings means flying high? Flying low is also flying.”

A Growing Voice for China’s Working Class

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.

In 2023, former courier Hu Anyan’s memoir I Deliver Parcels in Beijing became a bestseller in China and attracted international attention. An English translation of the book was published last year.

Another widely discussed work, I am Fan Yusu, an autobiographical essay by migrant worker Fan Yusu, went viral in 2017. The response was so intense that Fan temporarily left her home because of constant media attention.

The legacy of Lu Xun

The literary prize Wang received is named after Lu Xun, one of China’s most influential 20th-century writers, known for using satire to criticise traditional Chinese society. His work continues to resonate with younger generations, with the character Kong Yiji from one of his stories recently becoming an online symbol of frustration among young Chinese people struggling to find jobs.