Play store
A food delivery rider in China has won one of the country’s most prestigious literary honors, marking an extraordinary rise from manual labor to national recognition.
Wang Zhibin received the renowned Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection Low Flight, inspired by the struggles and lived experiences of delivery workers.
Named after Lu Xun—widely regarded as the father of modern Chinese literature—the award celebrates outstanding contributions to Chinese writing. According to a report by BBC, Wang’s work stood out for its raw portrayal of life in China’s gig economy.
Now 56, Wang began working as a delivery rider around 2019. Alongside his job, he started sharing poems and essays on social media, quickly gaining attention for his authentic voice. His writings focus on the emotional and social pressures faced by workers in China’s vast contract-based labor market.
Wang’s journey has been anything but easy. Born in Jiangsu province, he had to drop out of school in his teens due to financial hardship. Over the years, he worked as a construction laborer, waste collector, and street vendor before becoming a delivery rider. Despite these challenges, his passion for reading and writing never faded.
One of his early breakthroughs came in 2022 with a poem titled Man in a Hurry, inspired by a difficult delivery experience involving a wrong address in 2019.
The poem went viral online, leading to his first poetry collection, Man in a Hurry: Poems of a Food Delivery Rider, published in 2023.
His award-winning book Low Flight, released in 2024, is based on interviews and real-life stories of around 200 delivery workers.
Even after receiving the prestigious prize, Wang has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving his job. He says he plans to continue working as a delivery rider until the age of 60.
Wang believes that the physical nature of his work keeps him healthy and grounded, allowing him to stay connected to everyday life—something that deeply informs his writing.
In recent years, China has seen a growing trend of working-class individuals entering the literary scene. Writers like courier worker Hu Anyan and migrant laborer Fan Yusu have also gained recognition for their powerful storytelling.
The legacy of Lu Xun continues to inspire new generations, especially through socially conscious literature—making Wang Zhibin’s achievement both timely and symbolic.