Food delivery rider wins China's top literary prize
Wang Jibing, a 56-year-old food delivery rider, has won China's prestigious Lu Xun Literary Prize for his poetry collection 'Low Flight.' His work, which documents the struggles of gig economy workers, has gained significant attention for its authentic portrayal of blue-collar life.
Why it matters
The recognition of a gig worker in a top literary competition highlights the growing cultural visibility of the working class in China's rapidly changing economy.
Image source, Xinhua Image caption, Wang Jibing, a food delivery rider, posted his poems and essays on social media for years before going viral
A collection of poems, some scribbled on slips of paper between food deliveries, has won Wang Jibing one of China's top literary honours.
Low Flight, inspired by the everyday challenges delivery riders face, has bagged the Lu Xun Literary Prize - named after a writer who has been referred to as the father of modern Chinese literature.
Wang, 56, who became a delivery rider around 2019, gained traction on social media for his poems and essays.
He is part of a growing group of blue-collar workers who are being celebrated for their literary works, which offer a glimpse into the pressures that they face in China's massive gig economy.
For Wang, the prestigious literary prize comes after a few difficult decades as an odd job worker.
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