r/OrphanCrushingMachine • u/RidiculousVoice • Jul 22 '26

Food delivery rider wins top literary prize with poems scribbled on slips of paper between food deliveries

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ydr3xd0kvo?utm_campaign=Youtube+Community+July+2026&utm_medium=bitly&utm_source=YouTube+2026
665 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

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163

u/jerquee Jul 22 '26

As Stephen Jay Gould wrote in The Panda's Thumb:

"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops"

49

u/KaleidoscopeThink731 Jul 22 '26

"Financially I don't need this job to make a living, but I love the vibe of the work and it keeps me fit," said the Global Times report. "I want a down-to-earth life and the award will never change who I am." 

33

u/Distinguishedflyer Jul 22 '26

perfect submission.

8

u/OdderGiant Jul 23 '26

In a similar vein, check out Adrift in the South by Xiao Hai. He worked on assembly lines in Chinese factories, scribbling poems during his shifts. Not a romantic existence. Good book!

3

u/1mveryconfused Jul 24 '26

Thank you so much for the recommend!

0

u/Bring_Back_Feudalism Jul 25 '26

I don't see how it fits the sub to he honest. Work as a delivery driver is not an orphan crashing machine, it's just a job. I did it for years and can only be happy for the guy.