Dua Lipa opens library for banned and censored books in Portugal
The ‘Levitating’ singer has released a new live album, 'Dua Lipa – Live From Mexico'; her 2017 self-titled debut has reached the impressive milestone of 450 weeks on the UK’s Official Albums chart; she’s still a fan favourite for the next James Bond theme song; she’s spoken out about the discourse surrounding the Epstein Files; and she just tied the knot with her now-husband Callum Turner, who also happens to be a 007 favourite.
Not just any library, mind you. The Manifesto Library is a library of banned and censored books. As part of the new international book festival BABELL – City of Books, it will permanently reside inside the famed Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, Portugal.
In a press release, Lipa called the new library “a dream partnership” and a result of years of pushing her mission forward.
“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,” she said, referring to her Service95 Book Club, which recommends a book each month and sees / hears Lipa interviewing its author for an accompanying podcast.
“Reading the world brings us closer - but sadly, not everyone is in favour of that,” Lipa said, adding: “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.”
Nearly 100 books are included in Livraria Lello’s new cultural auditorium, with each relating to four key themes: power, control, voice, and memory.
Margaret Atwood’s "The Handmaid’s Tale" and Reginald Dwayne Betts’ "Felon", alongside selected works from Salman Rushdie and Olga Tokarczuk, will also be available in the Manifesto Library.
“For 120 years, Livraria Lello has been built on a simple conviction: the book is a technology of freedom. The Manifesto Library grows from that belief,” Head of Brand at Livraria Lello Francisca Pedro Pinto said in a statement. “Because what is at stake is not only the future of reading, but a society’s ability to imagine, interpret and build its own future.”
Dua Lipa has long been a passionate advocate for reading, and she is set to curate the Southbank Centre’s 2026 London Literature Festival, which takes place from 21 October to 1 November.