I Deliver Parcels in Beijing

Powerful… grim indictment of a terrible system, though Anyan finds humour and dignity in his bleakest moments – Books of the Year * Guardian *A fascinating insight into China’s gig economy and the frustrations, fears and hopes of a rising generation that will shape the country’s future – Books of the Year * Financial Times *Hypnotic … I Deliver Parcels in Beijing is quietly revolutionary simply because it treats the minutiae of work itself as important. The bureaucratic nightmare of trying to get a company to onboard a new employee; the propensity of electronic delivery bikes to break down; the discomfort of delivering packages in the freezing cold, but having to wear fingerless gloves to type on a phone screen—that these can be the topic of a book is almost revelatory * Washington Post *Hu Anyan’s reflections touch on universal concerns. The language may be Chinese, but the exhaustion is global. Britain’s work culture, long defined by quiet endurance, has slipped into its own paradox: a nation that works longer hours yet produces less, where the promise of flexibility too often disguises instability * New Statesman *Mr Hu’s straightforward prose and keen eye for detail capture the drudgery of gruelling low-wage work… Writing, Mr Hu insists, is an opposite pursuit, allowing him to express his individuality and depict that of other people. He has gone from shengchan, producing, to shenghuo, living * The Economist *An insightful, relatable, and often humorous account of working life in twenty-first-century China * Jacobin *An unforgettable portrayal of the gruelling realities of work in the gig economy… Despite documenting hardship and frustration, [it] is narrated in an intimate and witty style – for which English translator Jack Hargreaves deserves great credit… inspiring [and] open-hearted * Asia Times *

Hu Anyan (Author)

Hu Anyan was born in Guangzhou, China, in 1979. After graduating from secondary school he joined the workforce, moving between cities and odd jobs to make a living. In 2020, a blog post based on his experience as a delivery driver in Beijing went viral, leading to the publication of his first book, I Deliver Parcels in Beijing (Insight Media, 2023). It has since become a major national bestseller in China and will be translated into fifteen languages.

Jack Hargreaves (Translator)

Jack Hargreaves is a Chinese-English translator. He has translated work by such writers as Li Juan, Lu Xiaoyu, Chai Jing, Shen Dacheng, Gu Qian, Wen Zhen and Chen Chuncheng, among others.