Food Delivery Rider Wins China’s Top Literary Award

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:39:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A Chinese food delivery rider, Wang Jibing, has been honored with the Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection "Low Flight", celebrating the everyday lives of gig workers.

Wang Jibing, a 56‑year‑old food delivery rider from Jiangsu province, received the prestigious Lu Xun Literary Prize for his 2024 collection "Low Flight". The poems, born from his own delivery days and interviews with nearly 200 riders, capture the rhythm and challenges of China’s gig economy. Despite the award, Wang said he will continue working until the age of 60. His story highlights a growing trend of blue‑collar workers gaining literary acclaim. The prize, named after modern literary icon Lu Xun, underscores the cultural impact of grassroots narratives.

Food Delivery Rider Wins China’s Top Literary Award

Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider, in orange

Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider, posted his poems and essays on social media for years before going viral.

A collection of poems, some scribbled on slips of paper between food deliveries, has won Wang Jibing one of China’s top literary honours. The book, titled Low Flight, draws its inspiration from the everyday challenges faced by delivery riders and has earned him the esteemed Lu Xun Literary Prize.

Wang, who became a delivery rider around 2019, first gained traction on social media with his poetry and essays. His work offers a candid glimpse into the pressures of China’s massive gig economy, marking him as part of a growing group of blue‑collar voices celebrated for their literary contributions.

When told by the state‑run Global Times on 15 July that he had won the award, Wang said, "I held my breath and felt extremely nervous… Once it was revealed, everything was settled." The media attention created a lot of mental pressure, he added.

The award’s monetary prize remains undisclosed, though it has reportedly been around 100,000 Chinese yuan (roughly £11,000) as of 2014. Wang, born in Jiangsu province, left school as a teenager due to financial hardship and worked various odd jobs before turning to food delivery.

Despite the accolade, Wang intends to keep working until he turns 60. "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 told Global Times. "I want a down‑to‑earth life and the award will never change who I am."

Published in 2024, Low Flight is a collection of poems inspired by interviews and surveys with around 200 delivery riders. One line reads, "Who says spreading your wings means flying high? Flying low is also flying."

Wang’s win mirrors a wider trend of blue‑worker authors gaining prominence: Hu Anyan’s memoir "I Deliver Parcels in Beijing" became a bestseller in 2023, and Fan Yusu’s autobiographical essay "I am Fan Yusu" sparked a viral meme in 2017.

Lu Xun, eponymous of the prize, remains one of China’s most celebrated 20th‑century writers, noted for his satirical critique of traditional society. His character Kong Yiji has even become a meme symbolising modern Chinese youth disillusionment.