Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

The public announcement of candidates for "Model Workers" in East China's Jiangsu Province has drawn widespread attention, with Wang Jibing, known as the "Delivery Rider Poet" by Chinese netizens, among the nominees. This honor is not only an affirmation of an ordinary worker's kindness and sense of responsibility, but also proof that literature doesn't reside in an ivory tower, but in the fireworks of daily life and the perseverance of ordinary workers. It perfectly embodies the spirit of national reading and cultural inclusiveness advocated by the Regulation on the Promotion of Nationwide Reading that was implemented in February.

Literature has never been the exclusive domain of elites. The most down-to-earth words, tempered by life's hardships, often carry the most touching power. Wang Jibing, who writes poems on scraps of paper or even the palms of his hands during waits for orders or elevators, has created 6,000 works recording the joys and sorrows of life, with his poetry collection Flying Low becoming a bridge between society and workers. 

Like him, cleaner Wang Liuyun writes in her spare time between cleaning in buildings, and her work The Weight of Dust uses brooms and dust as metaphors to convey perseverance in ordinary life. She has published four books despite no systematic literary training. Coal miner poet Chen Nianxi writes on cardboard from empty explosive crates and rocks 5,000 meters underground, his lines blending the harshness of blasting work with gentle expectations for life, and his famous line "For even in the humblest bone, there runs a river" captures the essence of folk literature.

Yu Jinlong, a Beijing-based cultural critic, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Wang Jibing was nominated not merely for his public welfare deeds, such as voluntarily picking up dual-income families' children for over a decade and providing free supplies to communities during the pandemic, but more importantly for his literary contributions. 

"His book Flying Low calls for social understanding and mutual assistance through words, showing the warmth and responsibility of an ordinary worker," Yu said, adding that this signifies that literary creation, as a spiritual labor and a way to provide cultural value, has been incorporated into the recognition system of model workers, granting folk literature much-needed "identity recognition." 

According to Yu, Wang Jibing's case sends a clear signal, which is that literature is not a patent of academic degrees or elites, instead, every ordinary person who lives earnestly and expresses sincerely can gain dignity and create value through writing.

This practice aligns perfectly with the Regulation on the Promotion of Nationwide Reading, which emphasizes building a universal, inclusive, and efficient system for promoting reading among all citizens.

Wang Jibing, who dropped out of junior high school and struggled to make a living, never gave up reading and writing. Wang Liuyun persisted in reading while being a cleaner, and Chen Nianxi kept writing even after being diagnosed with pneumoconiosis. Their experiences interpret national reading in the most down-to-earth way: Reading is not just observing others' lives, but becoming a participant in expressing one's own story.

Liu Weicheng, curator of Hubei Provincial Library, regards Wang Jibing as a model for public libraries, suggesting that they should tap into such grassroots readers with life experience, as their stories can inspire public interest in reading. 

"When reading and creation happen in the gaps of daily work, including waiting for orders, elevators or customers, they light up every household and bring hope to life," Liu told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

He emphasized that we should focus on the healing and emotional value of reading and creation, rather than overemphasizing literary sophistication, to lower the threshold for ordinary people.

To promote national reading from the "popularization of reading" to the "awakening of creation," Yu Jinlong proposes practical paths, including using grassroots models to reduce the psychological barriers of creation, building a supportive ecosystem from reading to writing and fostering an inclusive social atmosphere. Wang ­Jibing, who also serves as vice president of the Xuzhou National Reading Promotion Association, has set a good example by sharing his stories with workers in a sincere way.

Wang Jibing's nomination is a tribute to all grassroots creators. Folk literature has never lacked in poetry, and ordinary life has never lacked for light. As China advances national reading, it is these ordinary people who write in the gaps of life that make the Regulation on the Promotion of Nationwide Reading alive and vibrant. The stories of Wang Jibing, Wang Liuyun and Chen Nianxi remind us that the ultimate goal of national reading is to allow everyone to find their spiritual home in words and leave a true footnote for the times with their own pens.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn