Blue-collar recognition: Delivery rider wins China’s Lu Xun Literary Prize
The 56-year-old rider’s award highlights a growing trend of labourers gaining literary acclaim, though he plans to continue his work until age 60.
Wang Jibing, a 56-year-old food delivery rider, has been awarded the Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection Low Flight, one of China’s most prestigious literary honours. The award, named after the writer considered the father of modern Chinese literature, recognises a body of work that draws heavily on the pressures and realities of the nation’s massive gig economy.
Wang, who began working as a delivery rider in 2019, gained significant social media traction for his poems and essays, which often reflect the daily challenges faced by couriers. His previous viral poem, Man in a Hurry, was inspired by a 2019 incident where he spent hours on a frustrating delivery due to a customer entering the wrong address. That poem, along with his first collection published in 2023, helped establish his voice in a literary space traditionally dominated by established academics and professionals.
Low Flight, published in 2024, was inspired by interviews and surveys conducted with approximately 200 delivery riders. The collection serves as a documentation of the blue-collar experience, with Wang noting that the work was often scribbled on slips of paper between deliveries. The Lu Xun Literary Prize, which carried a monetary award of 100,000 Chinese yuan in 2014, does not currently disclose specific financial values for recipients.
Speaking to state media outlet Global Times on 15 July, Wang described the moment of winning as a release of tension, noting that the subsequent media attention had created significant mental pressure. Despite the recognition, Wang stated he has no intention of quitting his job. He plans to continue working as a delivery rider until he turns 60, citing the physical activity and the "vibe" of the work as reasons for staying in the role.
His victory aligns with a broader trend of blue-collar workers in China gaining literary recognition. Former courier Hu Anyan’s 2023 memoir, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, became a bestseller and was later translated into English, while migrant worker Fan Yusu’s 2017 autobiographical essay, I am Fan Yusu, swept the Chinese internet. Wang’s win underscores the increasing visibility of labourers’ narratives in the national cultural discourse.
