DUA LIPA MAKING READING FASHIONABLE AND RELEVANT
Founded by Dua Lipa, the Service95 Book Club is a global cultural platform and community built around the belief that books, ideas, and the conversations they spark help make us more informed, more empathetic, and more alive to the world.
The Service95 Book Club is where Dua brings her personal reading life into public view: Monthly Reads chosen straight from her bookshelf, paired with, contextual essays, and conversations with writers from around the world including Margaret Atwood, Olga Tokarczuk, and Ocean Vuong have earned Dua Lipa recognition from The Telegraph as “one of Britain’s foremost literary tastemakers”.
The Service95 Book Club podcast has also launched to critical acclaim. Named among The Guardian’s Best Podcasts of the Week it has also ranked as one of Spotify’s Best Video Podcasts of the year. At its core it is a place where reading is treated as a community act — and where the right book, at the right moment, can change how you see everything. Then just a couple of weeks ago in a tremendous coup for the London Literature Festival at Southbank Centre, Dua Lipa stepped into a new creative role. Not just as a poster girl for the event, she actually shaped the festival’s programme at one of London’s leading cultural institutions.
Joined by icons of the arts the world, Dua was in conversation with Zadie Smith discussing Zadie’s extraordinary 2000 debut novel; White Teeth, published when she was just 24 years old. Also, Dua spoke with Sudanese- Canadian poet, singer and songwriter Mustafa and the amazing Patti Smith. One of the most captivating artists at work today, who discussed her intimate and unguarded memoir Bread of Angels with Dua. A memoir which traces her life from a post-war childhood through to her artistic coming-of-age, her marriage to Fred “Sonic” Smith, and her return to performing after Fred’s death. Together, they explored the healing potential of art and the power of artistic freedom.
Dua’s curation also involved a number of events curated by the Service95 Book Club in partnership with the Southbank Centre. She said of the event: “Curating the line up for the London Literature Festival with my Service95 Book Club has been a true joy and I’m so proud of the programme we created. Reading has anchored me through every chapter of my life – from being the new kid at school in a new country to finding quiet refuge on tour. Curating the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival is a dream come true.”
The more influencers and modern day icons point the way to the importance of reading the better. Making reading fashionable for their young fan base means that we will hopefully see younger generations reading print rather than scrolling. Well done Dua Lipa for sharing your passion!