Delivering a feast of poetry

This April, Wang published his second poetry collection, titled I Love This World Clumsily, featuring about 130 poems he has written since July 2022.

"Poetry is like a distraction from stress and an opportunity to record my life. Whether it's coping with pain, dealing with stressful situations, or coming to terms with life's struggles, poetry makes me confident and happy," says Wang.

He adds that the income from the first book — about 20,000 yuan — made his wife very happy.

"My wife always describes me as a sentimental person and she didn't understand why I enjoy writing poems. Now, she is very supportive," says Wang. "My children didn't know about my habit of writing poems at all. Now that they know, they are also learning to write poems."

Born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, Wang often fell sick as a child. He dropped out of school at the age of 14 and was sent by his father to practice martial arts.

He has always loved reading and writing. In 1992, he wrote an article, which was published in a magazine in his hometown. It made Wang very happy. However, Wang's father didn't take his son's passion seriously and they would regularly quarrel.

In 2009, Wang bought a computer and started writing recreationally. He shared his articles and poems on social media, and received positive feedback from readers.

Wang worked as a construction worker before he switched jobs and became a food delivery rider, which he says "allows him to write, thanks to the flexible working hours". Now, his wife runs a small fruit shop in Kunshan, which also contributes to the family's income.

"The feedback from the readers is a big encouragement to me. I never planned to make writing my career and, even though I have published two books, I have no plans to quit my job and become a full-time writer," says Wang. "Those poems came to me naturally and I enjoyed writing them very much. However, the priority is to look after my family, so I will keep my regular job delivering food."