When a global superstar takes a passion project and grounds it in radical literary activism, the resulting vision is anything but ordinary. Singer Dua Lipa is not just promoting music; she is challenging the structures of power by opening her first library dedicated entirely to banned and censored books in Portugal.
This new venture, known as the Manifesto Library, is set to open today, June 27, and will find a permanent home within the historic Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto. It joins an international literary celebration, BABELL – City of Books, marking a powerful statement about the role books play in society.
Lipa’s ambition stems from her long-standing advocacy for reading. In 2023, she established the Service95 Book Club, a platform that pairs monthly book recommendations with interviews and podcasts, fostering a community dedicated to exploring literature. Now, she is channeling that energy into making sure voices that have been silenced are finally heard.
The Manifesto Library is more than just a collection; it is a shrine to books that have disappeared, representing authors whose courage has exposed systemic control. Inside the library, nearly 100 volumes will explore pivotal themes of power, control, voice, and memory. This curated selection features challenging works, including Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Reginald Dwayne Betts’ Felon, alongside selections from major writers like Salman Rushdie and Olga Tokarczuk.
Lipa describes the library as a dream partnership, recognizing that reading is fundamentally a technology of freedom. “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 shared. She continues, inviting visitors to “decide for yourself what belongs on these shelves,” emphasizing that sometimes the most subversive act is simply reading and speaking about what you find.
For 120 years, Livraria Lello has stood on the conviction that the book is a technology of freedom. The Manifesto Library builds upon this legacy, asserting that the ability to read, interpret, and build one’s own future is central to a society’s well-being.
Credit: NME
