Dua Lipa opened her own library with banned books
The singer expands her Service95 book club with the opening of the "Manifesto Library" in the historic Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal
In a firm commitment to freedom of expression and literature, British superstar Dua Lipa took a historic step by inaugurating the Manifesto Library, a permanent physical space dedicated exclusively to housing books that have been banned, censored or questioned in different parts of the world.
The venue chosen for this project could not be more emblematic: the iconic Livraria Lello, in Porto, a literary temple with 120 years of history. The official opening took place within the framework of the BABELL literary festival and as part of the venue's anniversary celebrations.
The initiative represents the first physical expansion of Service95 Book Club, the digital reading community that the singer and newlywed founded in 2023. The initial curation consists of 100 titles organized around four fundamental thematic axes: power, voice, control and memory.
Among the works on display are contemporary classics of universal literature that have been vetoed in school districts or institutions, especially for addressing issues of race, gender or sexuality. Featured are award-winning and acclaimed authors such as Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk and the poet Reginald Dwayne Betts.
Through a press release, the 30-year-old interpreter expressed the political and social purpose of this proposal: “This library is a sanctuary for books that have disappeared, for authors whose courage unmasks the structures of power and control, and for readers who refuse to be told what book they are allowed to read.”
Likewise, he forcefully emphasized the danger that many creators face: “In some cases, the author has paid for his words with his own life.”
The Manifesto Library is located in the bookstore's new cultural auditorium, designed by renowned architect Álvaro Siza, winner of the Pritzker Prize.
With this space, Dua Lipa seeks to demystify censorship as something of the past and remember that it is still valid. In closing, the artist extended a global invitation: "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."