Dua Lipa opens library for banned and censored books in Portugal
3 hours ago
- #literary advocacy
- #banned books
- #cultural freedom
- The Manifesto Library is a new library of banned and censored books located inside the historic Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, Portugal.
- It was launched as part of the BABELL – City of Books festival and contains nearly 100 books organized around themes of power, control, voice, and memory.
- Dua Lipa founded the Service95 Book Club and is a passionate advocate for reading; she described the library as a 'dream partnership' and a 'shrine' to censored works and courageous authors.
- The library includes books like Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' and works by Salman Rushdie, highlighting titles that have been banned or restricted due to themes of race, sexuality, or LGBTQIA+ content.
- Livraria Lello's brand head stated the library reflects the belief that 'the book is a technology of freedom,' emphasizing the importance of reading for societal imagination and freedom.
- Dua Lipa is also set to curate the Southbank Centre's 2026 London Literature Festival, continuing her promotion of literature and free expression.