{"id":1608,"date":"2026-03-31T02:47:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T02:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/1608\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:47:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T02:47:17","slug":"dua-lipa-to-curate-london-literature-festival-to-mark-southbank-centres-75th-anniversary-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/1608\/","title":{"rendered":"Dua Lipa to curate London Literature Festival to mark Southbank Centre\u2019s 75th anniversary year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Southbank Centre has announced that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/dua-lipa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dua Lipa<\/a> is set to curate its 2026 London Literature Festival.<\/p>\n<p>Presented as part of the Southbank Centre\u2019s 75th anniversary year, this year \u2013 also the National Year of Reading \u2013 marks the 19th edition of the London Literature Festival, making it the longest-running literature and spoken word festival in the capital.<\/p>\n<p>Taking place from Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 1 November, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/album\/dua-lipa-radical-optimism-review-lyrics-tracklist-3752802\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018Radical Optimism\u2019<\/a> pop star will curate a series of events in the opening weekend (October 24 \u2013 25 October), as well as events across the whole festival with her Service95 Book Club.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, Lipa launched the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.service95.com\/book-club\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Service95<\/a> Book Club, and each month selects a book and sits down with its author for an accompanying podcast. Well known for being a passionate advocate for reading, a new press release notes her vocal advocacy for marginalised readers who face barriers to books, including those affected by book bans or incarceration.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the curatorship, Lipa said: \u201cReading has anchored me through every chapter of my life \u2013 from being the new kid at school in a new country to finding quiet refuge on tour.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCurating the Southbank Centre\u2019s London Literature Festival is a dream come true. I\u2019m thrilled to indulge one of my greatest obsessions: books and the brilliant minds behind them. I can\u2019t wait to dive into the imaginations of some of my favourite authors in one of London\u2019s most iconic cultural spaces,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre added that Lipa\u2019s \u201cpassion for the written and spoken word has inspired a new generation of readers\u201d, adding that they were thrilled she could apply \u201cher incredible creative talent, her advocacy and her reach to connect audiences to our finest writers\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Lipa\u2019s curatorship of the London Literature Festival will be in partnership with the Service95 Book Club, and is set to include events that feature a mix of her favourite writers along with an array of free programming.<\/p>\n<p>Full line-up details and dates for ticket releases are expected to be announced this summer.<\/p>\n<p>On a recent episode of her aforementioned book club podcast,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/dua-lipa-hits-out-at-epstein-files-discourse-for-doing-such-a-disservice-to-all-the-victims-and-trying-to-mask-what-is-happening-3935001\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lipa hit out at the media coverage of the Epstein files<\/a>, saying it was largely \u201cdoing such a disservice to all the victims\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Southbank Centre has announced that Dua Lipa is set to curate its 2026 London Literature Festival. 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