{"text":[[{"start":7.35,"text":"When Wang Jibing wrote fiction as a young man, his despairing father thought he was insane and set fire to his notebooks. Wang stuck with it and, decades later, the 56-year-old has been awarded one of China’s top literary prizes for poetry inspired by his life as a delivery driver."}],[{"start":25.450000000000003,"text":"Wang, who was born into a poor family in a small village in eastern China and did not finish high school, was this month awarded the Lu Xun Literary Prize for Low Flight, a collection of 139 poems published in 2024 and based on interviews with hundreds of fellow drivers who form the backbone of the Chinese economy."}],[{"start":43.85,"text":"Wang on Friday shared a short video on social media saying that the award has inspired him and awakened “even more determination and fighting spirit”. "}],[{"start":53.45,"text":"“I also want everyone to believe in me: I am Wang Jibing, and I am a quietly flowing river,” he said, even as he acknowledged some “mental pressure” since the award."}],[{"start":62.900000000000006,"text":"The poet’s success is emblematic of the rising popularity of writing penned by migrant workers in China."}],[{"start":69.7,"text":"He follows in the footsteps of author Hu Anyan, whose 2023 book, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, was a Chinese bestseller, as well as Fan Yusu, a Beijing maid whose essay describing her life was a viral hit in 2017. Hu’s book and last year’s Adrift in the South, a memoir written by former factory worker Xiao Hai, are also proving popular with foreign audiences. "}],[{"start":94.05000000000001,"text":"Lizzi Lee, a fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, said the popularity of writers such as Wang reflects the country’s “new economic reality”, where blue-collar workers now number 400mn people. “These stories have become increasingly relatable to middle-class readers, especially in this area of slower growth and greater economic uncertainty,” she said."}],[{"start":117.35000000000001,"text":"Many readers have voiced deep-seated sympathies for the suffering of hundreds of millions of migrant workers."}],[{"start":123.55000000000001,"text":"“Such unpretentious writing — reading just one piece brought tears to my eyes . . . Simple, heartfelt words — a tribute to the working people,” one user on Douban, a popular Chinese app for sharing and reviewing books and films, wrote in response to Low Flight."}],[{"start":139.05,"text":"Another said: “The poems written by literary and artistic young people may be more imaginative . . . while the poems written by couriers are more flesh-and-blood, allowing people to better experience the sufferings of the world.”"}],[{"start":151.05,"text":"Wang has, according to Chinese reports, written more than 6,000 poems and published five collections of his work. In 2022, his poem Man in a Hurry,captured the plight of delivery drivers and was an online hit, garnering 20mn views on social media. "}],[{"start":168.20000000000002,"text":"He was catapulted into mainstream consciousness last year after featuring on the Spring Gala national television broadcast. While he still works as a delivery driver, he has about 17,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform similar to Instagram, and 46,000 on Douyin, China’s TikTok. "}],[{"start":188.25000000000003,"text":"Wang’s work has been promoted by party and state media, despite shedding light on the harsh realities of blue-collar work in China."}],[{"start":197.20000000000002,"text":"A commentary on Wang’s work published by the People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece, on Friday touted his verses as “giving voice to the feelings of ordinary people”."}],[{"start":208.3,"text":"“Wang Jibing’s writing is free of lofty or abstract imagery; instead, it is filled with the resilience and tenderness of ordinary people hidden within everyday life. The richer life becomes, the more enduring the poetry,” the commentary said. "}],[{"start":224.25,"text":"This official endorsement comes despite a backdrop of strict censorship in China."}],[{"start":229.35,"text":"According to a database compiled by PEN, a non-profit association of writers, of at least 401 writers jailed across 44 countries last year, 119 were in China. Some experts believe that the party views workers’ literature as a necessary release valve for social pressure."}],[{"start":247.79999999999998,"text":"While their work highlights chronic problems of inequality, workers’ rights and the dominance of big tech companies such as Alibaba, Lee notes they “stop short” of questioning the legitimacy of the political system or calling for organised political action. "}],[{"start":263.2,"text":"“Literature that depicts the dignity and resilience of ordinary workers can actually reinforce values the party wants to promote,” she said, adding that the party also has a “symbolic commitment” to the working class. “Endorsing Wang reinforces the idea that ordinary people can produce high culture and that literature belongs to everyone.”"}],[{"start":283.15,"text":"Despite his fame, Wang has no plans to change his vocation. After winning the Lu Xun prize this month, he was asked: “Why do you still deliver food?” He responded: “Because it’s my life. I know who I am.”"}],[{"start":303.8,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1784947734_9212.mp3"}