Dua Lipa Opens Library to Protect Banned Books

Singer Dua Lipa has expanded her literary platform, Service95, into a physical space. The 30-year-old musician announced the opening of a permanent library named The Manifesto Library. The space is dedicated to housing and celebrating contemporary works that have been banned, withdrawn from circulation, or censored by various authorities around the world. The inauguration was held in conjunction with a new literary festival called BABELL - City of Books. This marks a new chapter for Service95, the book club Lipa founded three years ago with the vision of sharing recommendations from global authors. That commitment is now embodied in a physical collection located in the historic Livraria Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal. For Dua Lipa, the library is more than just shelves of books; it is a safe space for critical thinking that is often restricted. ‘This library is a place for books that have been lost, for the writers whose courage exposes structures of power and control, and for readers who refuse to be told what they can and cannot read,’ Lipa wrote in a joint social media post between the Service95 Book Club and Livraria Lello. The collaboration has produced a dedicated room featuring 100 selected contemporary books. The collection includes works that have historically challenged authority, sparked debate, and continue to stimulate discussions on freedom of expression, identity, and collective memory. The project was born from the belief that something significant is lost when a written work is forcibly silenced. In an official statement, the collaboration team stated, ‘The Manifesto Library was born from the belief that there is something far greater than just a story that is lost when a book is censored. These bans, often unspoken, limit the right to explore, imagine, and understand the world.’ Dua Lipa’s love for literature began in childhood, where reading served as a bridge to understanding the wider world. When she launched Service95, her main ambition was to build an inclusive space for writers and readers. In a press release accompanying the library’s opening, Lipa reflected on this original goal, stating that her initial ambition was for Service95 to be a home for writers and readers, wherever they are and whatever situation they face.