Takeout rider-turned poet wins prestigious Lu Xun Prize

In between food deliveries in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, Wang Jibing finds time to jot down poetry. His latest collection last week earned him a Lu Xun Literature Prize—China’s top award for literary work—in the poetry category.

Wang Jibing, 56, has penned more than 5,000 poems between delivery jobs during eight years as a courier, during which he says he has covered nearly 100,000 miles. Wang’s work draws inspiration from the quiet dignity of the working class, earning him the moniker “delivery poet.”

‘Flying’ at a Low Altitude

His third compilation, Low Altitude Flight, continues what Wang has become known for: meditations on the hopes and struggles of blue-collar workers, including the 10 million employed in China‘s booming gig economy.

“Who says spreading your wings means flying high? Flying low is also flying,” he writes in one poem.

While Wang doesn’t sugarcoat life’s hardships, his poems celebrate resilience and encourage readers to keep pushing forward and to never stop cultivating interests.

“As the old saying goes, eight or nine out of 10 things in life will disappoint us. We are always losing something. Yet whatever else we lose, we must not lose our passions. Passions lead to faith, and faith gives us strength,” he writes.

Wang interviewed more than 140 delivery workers in preparation for Low Altitude Flight to better capture the day-to-day realities of the industry.

“I believe the greatest value of writing may not be limited to expressing one’s own inner self, but being able to speak out for others,” he told China Media Publishers’ Daily. “I long to do something meaningful.”

While the accolade has brought Wang even greater recognition, the “delivery poet” says he will not let it change him.

“I want to live a down-to-earth life, and the award will never change who I am. I will keep writing and sharing ordinary people’s life stories through literature,” the Global Times quoted him as saying.

As for his day job, Wang has no plans to give it up, telling the outlet he intends to keep working until he is 60.

“Financially, I don’t need to do this job to make a living, but I love the vibe of the work and it keeps me fit,” he said.

Wang’s previous two poetry collections are titled The Person in a Hurry and I Clumsily Love This World.

What Is the Lu Xun Literature Prize?

Awarded every four years by the China Writers Association, the Lu Xun Literature Prize is considered one of the country’s highest literary honors and is widely regarded as the country’s top prize for poetry, essays, literary criticism and translation, and short stories.

The prize is named after Lu Xun (1881—1936), widely considered the father of modern Chinese literature, and has traditionally gone to established professional writers rather than grassroots ones.

The exact value of this year’s award has not been disclosed. However, the most recent publicly reported prize amount was 100,000 yuan (about $14,800) for the 2014 edition.

Newsweek reached out to the China Writers Association by email.