China delivery biker wins nation's prestigious literary award for his poetry collection

Wang Jibing, a 57-year-old Chinese poet, has received the Lu Xun Literary Prize, one of the most esteemed literary honours in China, for his poetry collection "Flying Low," an impressive feat given his dual responsibilities as a delivery driver during the day and a poet at night.

Wang Jibing mentioned that he has been a food delivery driver in Kunshan since 2019, covering more than 150,000 kilometres on his scooter and composing 6,000 poems, all influenced by the experiences and everyday struggles of delivery workers.

"My successful collection is rooted in discussions and interviews with 200 of my coworkers, and through it, I portray the reality of the gig economy in China," he noted.

Wang Jibing poses with the award.

"I had to drop out of school early because of financial issues, then worked in construction, collected scrap metal, and operated a street stall, yet I kept writing poetry and sharing my pieces in magazines and on social media," he elaborated.

He noted that his name gained fame in 2022 when his poem "A Man in a Hurry" became a sensation on Weibo.

The poem drew inspiration from an event in which he mistakenly delivered an order to an incorrect address, causing delays for other orders and incurring a financial fine.

Immediately following his victory, he expressed that he felt anxious until the results were revealed, that he would keep working as a food delivery driver until he reached sixty, and that the recognition would not alter his way of life or self-perception.