BEIJING: “Should there be a fifth season on earth, it would surely be the delivery riders’ spring.”The line closes Low Flight, the title poem in a collection by Chinese food delivery rider Wang Jibing that has won one of China’s highest literary honours, the Lu Xun Literary Prize.Writing between deliveries in eastern Jiangsu province, the 56-year-old found inspiration in the people he encountered and the life he lived on the road, turning the everyday struggles and aspirations of delivery workers into poetry.For Low Flight, Wang interviewed over 140 fellow delivery riders and collected more than 60 responses via questionnaires, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.
“With simple yet sincere language, the collection offers a vivid portrait of the inner world of delivery workers, revealing resilience and hope in ordinary lives,” it added.Established in 1996 and founded in memory of renowned Chinese novelist Lu Xun, the Lu Xun Literary Prize is one of China's top literary prizes.Awarded by the China Writers Association, this year’s winners were announced on Jul 15. Low Flight received the top nod in the poetry category.
Low Flight, a poetry collection by Chinese food delivery rider Wang Jibing that was published in 2024, won the prestigious Lu Xun Literary Prize in the poetry category. (Photo: WeChat/Rongcheng Literature and Arts)
