Pop star and humanitarian Dua Lipa wants to unite the world through literary arts.
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Fresh off tying the knot with British actor Callum Turner, the London-born musician is opening her own physical library.
Not just any library, either. The Manifesto Library is a library of banned and censored books.
Manifesto Library, which opened June 27, will feature 100 books that "challenge power, censorship, exclusion, and dominant narratives," including Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Felon, by Reginald Dwayne Betts. It will be hosted at the Livraria Lello bookshop in Portugal.
In a statement, Dua Lipa explained that the library is a "shrine to books that have disappeared, to authors whose courage unmasks structures of power and control, and to readers who refuse to be told what book they are allowed to read. Sometimes the most subversive thing you can do is read a book and then talk about it."
Dua Lipa Opens Banned Books Library in Portugal
Since 2021, the "Levitating" singer has championed literary arts with her Service95 book club.
In a press release, Lipa called the new library "a dream partnership" and the latest milestone in her push to unify communities through reading.
"When I founded the Service95 Book Club, my ambition was for it to become a home for writers and readers. Wherever they are and whatever their circumstances. Reading the world brings us closer. Sadly, not everyone is in favor of that," Lipa said.
"Here you will find one hundred books that ask questions, or have been questioned. Some have been banned by school districts for themes of race or sexuality. Others, written for LGBTQIA+ readers, have been restricted from display. In some cases, the author has paid for their words with their life."
She continued: "This library is a shrine to books that have disappeared, to authors whose courage unmasks structures of power and control, and to readers who refuse to be told what book they are allowed to read. You are invited to visit and decide for yourself what belongs on these shelves. Because sometimes the most subversive thing you can do is read a book and then talk about it."
Dua Lipa has long been a passionate advocate for reading, and she is set to curate the Southbank Centre's 2026 London Literature Festival.
