He Delivers Food By Day, Writes Poetry By Night. Now He Has Won China's Top Literary Prize

Wang Jiqi, a veteran food delivery driver in China, has secured a prestigious national literary prize for his latest collection of poems titled 'Low Flight'. The collection draws extensively on his daily experiences navigating city streets and his personal interactions with hundreds of fellow couriers in the service industry.

By interviewing approximately 200 other delivery riders, Wang captured a wide range of perspectives on the hardships, aspirations, and systemic pressures found within China's fast-paced digital logistics networks. His writing has been praised by critics for providing an authentic, unsentimental voice to a demographic that is often overlooked in contemporary literature.

The poet continues to balance his literary career with his delivery shifts, arguing that his proximity to the working class is essential for his creative output. His achievement has sparked a broader national conversation regarding the working conditions and intellectual lives of blue-collar workers in the technology-driven economy.

Source: His latest collection, 'Low Flight', draws on interviews and conversations with nearly 200 fellow riders, capturing the realities of China's rapidly growing gig economy.