The winners of the ninth edition of the prestigious Lu Xun Literature Prize were announced on Wednesday. Among them was Wang Jibing, whose poetry collection Low Flight won the poetry award, bringing national recognition to a writer whose work has emerged from the streets and the lives of ordinary people.
When Wang, 56, heard the news, his first feeling was simple joy. "I am filled with happiness, and I can finally breathe a long sigh of relief," he says.
For Wang, the award marks not only national recognition but also the culmination of one of the most challenging and meaningful journeys of his writing life.
Born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, Wang left school at 14 after his father sent him to study martial arts. Despite the change in direction, he never lost his love of reading and writing. In 1992, a magazine in his hometown published one of his articles — an early encouragement that stayed with him.
He bought a computer in 2009 and began writing in his spare time, sharing poems and essays on social media, where they gradually found an audience. Wang worked in construction before becoming a food delivery rider, a job he says gives him the flexibility to write.
A difficult delivery in 2019 changed everything. Working in Kunshan, Jiangsu, Wang spent hours searching three residential buildings and climbing 18 flights of stairs after a customer entered the wrong address. When he finally arrived, the customer berated him for being late.
On his way home, Wang poured his frustration into a poem titled Man in a Hurry. The piece quickly went viral online and marked a turning point in his writing. Since then, he has drawn inspiration from the rhythms, encounters and emotions of life on the road.
In 2023, he published his first poetry collection, Man in a Hurry: Poems of a Food Delivery Rider.
Over the years, Wang has written more than 6,000 poems, many of which have appeared in literary journals.
His latest, award-winning collection grew directly from those daily journeys through city streets and alleyways, carrying meals from restaurants to homes. Along the way, he began reflecting on the quiet connection between delivery riders and the people they serve.
"People may not remember me after we pass each other," he says. "But they will certainly notice a food delivery rider speeding by."
That realization inspired him to write a book for the millions of delivery workers who share the same roads, pressures, hopes, and dreams.
To complete Low Flight, Wang interviewed more than 140 delivery riders in person and surveyed more than 60 others, hoping to capture their happiness, frustrations, struggles, and aspirations.
"I hope that after reading this book, people will show riders more understanding and patience, and that there will be fewer conflicts," he says.
For Wang, the greatest value of literature is not simply personal expression, but the ability to bring people closer together.
The title Low Flight reflects the philosophy behind his writing.
"Not every pair of wings can fly straight into the clouds," Wang notes. "A flight close to the ground is still a flight."
His poetry discovers beauty in such low flights: the hum of wheels turning, the wind rushing past, conversations on the street, and the countless fleeting moments that together become the soundtrack of the city.
As he writes: "Every ordinary person running along the road holds a small light in their hands. This light first illuminates us, and then slowly warms and brightens the entire world."
