Dua Lipa will interview Zadie Smith, Patti Smith and Mustafa as part of her curation of this year's London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre. The pop star has shaped the programme in collaboration with her Service95 book club.
Festival dates and headliners
The festival, now in its 19th year, runs from 21 October to 1 November. Lipa described curating the programme as “a true joy”, saying she wanted to bring together “some of the most exciting writers, poets and thinkers from around the globe” alongside more familiar names.
On 24 October, Lipa will discuss Zadie Smith's 2000 debut novel White Teeth, published when Smith was 24. The pair are expected to reflect on “learning to live with an artistic legacy earned at such a young age” and how the novel's characters might fare in Britain today. The following night, she will interview Patti Smith about her memoir Bread of Angels, which charts Smith's life from childhood, her marriage to Fred “Sonic” Smith, and her return to music after his death.
Other programme highlights
The line-up also includes Sudanese Canadian poet and musician Mustafa, Nobel peace laureate Nadia Murad discussing her memoir I Choose My Beginning, and a conversation between Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tareq Baconi on Baconi's new book about Palestine.
Other events feature a translated fiction showcase, a poetry and music night with Kae Tempest, and Censorship Live!, a collaboration with English PEN examining threats to free expression.
Lipa's literary advocacy
Lipa launched her book club in 2023 as an extension of her Service95 cultural platform, featuring monthly selections and long-form author interviews with writers including Margaret Atwood, George Saunders and Olga Tokarczuk. Last month, she opened a permanent collection of 100 banned, censored and challenged books inside the historic Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, Portugal.
Mark Ball, the Southbank Centre's artistic director, said Lipa's “deep curiosity about the world” made her a fitting curator for the venue's 75th anniversary. “It's a milestone year and she's the perfect curator to help us celebrate it,” he added.
Additional details
The festival includes free family events and a wider national programme as part of Southbank Centre's efforts to reach a million people across the UK in 2026. Last year, the festival was curated by Self Esteem; previous headliners include Ai Weiwei, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Tom Hanks and Yulia Navalnaya.
Tickets go on sale to Southbank Centre members on 3 August, Service95 members on 4 August, and the general public on 5 August.
