Wearing a bright red coat, "takeaway poet" Wang Jibing appeared in the classroom of Renmin University of China in Beijing with his new collection of poems "Holding a Light in the World". The quiet classroom instantly burst into warm applause.
Walking onto the stage, Wang Jibing talked about this bright red outfit. He said that he has always loved red because it is one of the brightest colors in life, and it also echoes the warmth and hope conveyed by his new work.
The third "New Works by Famous Writers" reading and sharing session jointly organized by Renmin University of China and People's Literature Publishing House was recently held in Beijing. As the winner of the 9th Lu Xun Literature Award for Poetry, Wang Jibing talked about his insights on literary creation and life. He revealed that after winning the Lu Xun Literature Award, he received constant invitations, but whenever he had free time, he still put on his riding gear and walked through the streets to get creative inspiration.
On November 6, the third "New Works by Famous Writers" reading and sharing session jointly organized by Renmin University of China and People's Literature Publishing House was held in Beijing. Wang Jibing opened a dialogue with teachers and students with his new poetry collection "Hold a Light in the World". (Photo courtesy of the organizer)
takeaway poet
"Holding a Light in the World" is the title of the book, and it is also a poem written by Wang Jibing to the delivery boy. "If I were to rewrite the world, I would pay tribute to the times as a little brother. Those who are heroic and righteous do not need eighteen weapons, but hold a beam of light in the world."
The number of workers in my country's new employment form has reached 84 million, including more than 10 million delivery boys. This is a huge group of workers. In Wang Jibing's eyes, the group of brothers is like the "biggest gang" in martial arts novels, and their weapons are hot meals delivered on time and kindness to strangers.
Wang Jibing himself was seen by everyone from this group. In 2019, 50-year-old Wang Jibing registered as a food delivery rider and was the oldest rider at his site. After waiting for meals, elevators, and finishing work late at night, Wang Jibing wrote poems in cigarette boxes, waste paper, and mobile phones. He rode more than 150,000 kilometers and wrote more than 6,000 poems.
In July 2022, a short poem by Wang Jibing, "Man in a Hurry," was circulated online by tens of millions of readers. "Those who are in a hurry have no seasons, only one stop and the next stop..." People remember this poet who was in a hurry in the streets and called him the "takeaway poet".
In July 2026, the 9th Lu Xun Literature Award was announced. He won the Poetry Award for his collection of poems "Flying Low", becoming the first delivery rider to win this honor.
On the evening of August 28, the Lu Xun Literature Award-winning works were awarded for the first time in Shanghai. The picture shows "takeaway poet" Wang Jibing delivering his acceptance speech. Photo by China News Service reporter Zhang Hengwei
Keep your inner spirit
After winning the award, Wang Jibing's label as a "takeaway poet" also plunged him into controversy. Some people question whether this award is because of the "delivery worker" label or because of literature? Wang Jibing responded: "Maybe the award is for my attitude towards life. I love this world very much."
In 1969, Wang Jibing was born in a rural area in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province. He came from a poor family and left school before finishing junior high school. He worked as a construction worker, scavenger, and delivered food. He spent half his life working hard to earn a living. Although life was once difficult, Wang Jibing felt that the spirit of reading, thinking and creation always remained in his heart.
When Wang Jibing was 19 years old, he was working at a construction site. The old bookstall on the street made him regain his love for books, and he began to try writing. In 1991, he tried to submit a novel, and the following year he published a novel, and many more novels were published subsequently. From then on, he became more and more obsessed with writing novels. When his father saw that he wrote all day long and did not do anything to make a living, and he believed others' claims that he was "possessed by ghosts and gods", his father burned his more than 200,000-word manuscript in a rage and made a rule not to write anymore. Wang Jibing promised his family not to contribute anymore. This stop lasted more than 20 years.
But Wang Jibing never really put down his pen. "There is a spirit that must be kept in the heart." He wrote sentences on discarded cigarette boxes and scraps of paper, and read them to himself after writing.
And reading was the light in his troubled years. When he was picking up scraps to make a living, he most wanted to pick up newspapers, dry them and read them. Recalling the most impressive moment of reading, Wang Jibing said that it was when he and a group of scrap pickers gathered under a willow tree by the river, holding a newspaper each, and standing under the shade of the tree to talk. "Although we are simple and ordinary, reading can make us high-spirited."
Nowadays, walking through the streets and alleys and rushing to deliver food has become Wang Jibing's unique perspective on life. In the book "Holding a Beam of Light in the World", he writes about his family, vegetation, and the vast number of low-level workers such as takeaways, cleaners, and migrant workers. He records the trivial daily life in simple and sincere language, letting the trivial warmth become the glimmer of light that illuminates life.
"I believe literature must have power." Wang Jibing said. He also used the popular "Suzhou Super League" in his hometown as a comparison: "We must have the heart to play a game of football in life and keep our own spirit, so that our lives can be full of flexibility."
The picture shows the scene of the "New Works by Famous Writers" reading and sharing session at Renmin University of China. Wang Jibing (first from left) signed autographs for teachers and students waiting in line. Photo by Liu Mengqing
In the age of AI, we still need to "write my heart by hand"
As artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to mature, its application in content generation is becoming increasingly widespread, and discussions and controversies about AI writing continue. In Wang Jibing's view, writers can "make friends" with AI, but they cannot become dependent on it. "It will weaken the writer's sensitivity."
Wang Jibing mentioned that when he is creating, he will also use AI's speech-to-text function to let AI check punctuation marks. "However, when using it, the instructions I gave it were not to polish, modify, add, or delete. I only corrected typos and used standard punctuation marks." This is because once he gave an article of more than 10,000 words to AI for polishing, and the more than 3,000 words deleted by AI were exactly what he liked. “When the AI ‘operates’ on me, it doesn’t sew up my wounds, but tears my wounds wider.”
"Writers must still insist on 'I write my heart with my hand'. This is our attitude towards life as living people." Wang Jibing said. He also encouraged young writers to change their perspectives, give emotions to all things, and "find the moments that can best trigger the softness of people's hearts."
Now that Wang Jibing has received numerous invitations after winning the award, whenever he has free time, he still puts on his riding gear and walks through the streets of Kunshan to capture new feelings and obtain creative inspiration. "If life gives me a cliff, I am a waterfall; if life gives me rocks, I am a wave." He said that his life is like a river that never stops and is always flowing. (over)
