Wang Jiping, a 56-year-old food delivery rider, won the Lu Xun Literature Prize, one of China's most prestigious literary awards, for his poetry collection 'Low Flight,' which conveys the lives, hopes, and hardships of delivery riders. He has affirmed that he will continue working as a food delivery rider despite receiving this high literary honor.
At the 9th Lu Xun Literature Prize announcement, one of China's most esteemed literary awards, Wang Jiping, a 56-year-old food delivery rider, won in the poetry category for his collection titled 'Low Flight,' created from sweat, life stories, and poetry crafted on the streets of a big city.
Wang Jiping was born in Jiangsu Province. He had to leave school at age 14 due to his family's financial difficulties and struggled through various hard jobs, including construction work, collecting and selling garbage, and street vending, before becoming a food delivery rider. Despite a hard life, he never abandoned his love for reading and writing, beginning to post poems and articles on social media about ten years ago.
A turning point in his writing came in 2019 after a difficult delivery. Due to the customer providing the wrong address, he had to search through three buildings and climb over 18 flights of stairs but was harshly scolded upon arrival. On his way home, he expressed his frustration in a poem titled 'Man in a Hurry,' which quickly went viral online.
Following that, Wang continuously conveyed stories from his work—the people he met, pressures, hopes, and dreams of delivery riders—through poetry. He published 'Man in a Hurry: Poems of a Food Delivery Rider' in 2023. Over the years, he has composed more than 6,000 poems, many published in leading Chinese literary journals.
His latest work, 'Low Flight,' which won this prestigious award, was inspired by interviews and surveys of over 200 fellow riders, reflecting the happiness, suffering, pressures, and dreams of workers in the gig economy.
The title stems from his life philosophy: 'Who says spreading your wings always means flying high? Flying low is still flying.' Wang aims to capture the beauty in everyday rhythms on the street—the sound of spinning wheels and the wind against the face—and hopes this work will foster greater understanding and empathy for delivery riders in society.
"I feel very happy and finally breathed a sigh of relief," Wang said after learning of the award. He affirmed that despite this major recognition and financial security, he has no intention of quitting delivery work and plans to continue until age 60, enjoying the work atmosphere, physical health benefits, and grounded lifestyle.
Wang Jiping's award highlights the rising influence of 'working-class poets and writers' in China gaining international attention and acceptance. As he wrote in one poem, 'Every common person running on the street holds a small light in their hand. This light first illuminates ourselves, then gradually offers warmth and light to the entire world.'