Dua Lipa has revealed the line-up she has curated for her London Literature Festival at London’s Southbank Centre, and it features Patti Smith, Mustafa, Zadie Smith and more.
Back in March, it was confirmed that as part of Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year, Lipa would be curating the 19th edition of the event – making it the longest-running literature and spoken word festival in the capital.
The series of events will run from Wednesday October 21 to Sunday November 1, and see the pop star host events alongside her Service95 Book Club, which she launched in 2023 and sees her interview authors on a podcast.
Now, she has revealed the line-up for the 2026 event, and it kicks off with her chatting to Zadie Smith as part of an in-depth conversation on Friday October 23 at 3pm. Together they will be talking about Smith’s 2000 debut novel White Teeth, as well as topics including artistic legacy earned at a young age, and today’s political climate.
The following day (Saturday October 24), Lipa will be talking to Sudanese-Canadian poet, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker Mustafa at 8pm about his poetry publication NOUR, his literature idols and more.
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On Sunday October 25 at 7:30pm, Patti Smith will be the special guest, discussing her memoir Bread Of Angels. That autobiography traced her life from a post-war childhood, her artistic coming-of-age, her marriage to Fred “Sonic” Smith, and her return to performing after his passing. Together, she and Lipa will talk about the healing potential of art and the power of artistic freedom.
Other events across the festival include a conversation with Nadia Murad (October 22),
Translated Fiction Showcase (October 28), Fierce Sounds featuring Kae Tempest (October 30) and Rewriting Male Tenderness (October 31).
All of those will be presented in partnership with the Service95 Book Club, as will appearances from best-selling authors Hernan Diaz (October 21) and Malorie Blackman (October 28).
There will be an Indie Night in association with Service95 on October 23 – celebrating the next generation of writers – and a showcase of new local talent on October 24.
Creative Future Writers’ Day returns to celebrate underrepresented writers, with a live-streamed Awards Ceremony on October 23, and there will be a special multi-artform event called Tice Cin: Safe Spaces on October 29.
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“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 have created,” Lipa said. “We’ll be joined by icons as well as emerging voices from across the arts the world needs to know.”
“You will recognise some as friends of the book club, and others may be your first introduction, but ultimately, I wanted to create a space that brings together some of the most exciting writers, poets, and thinkers from around the globe,” she added. I’m looking forward to being both in-conversation and taking my seat in the audience at this iconic venue.”
Other announced guests include human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad tells her powerful story of survival and reclamation as she presents her memoir I Choose My Beginning on October 22, Prize-winning novelist, memoirist and filmmaker Xiaolu Guo discussing the creation of fiction in the age of AI, and more.
“For 75 years, the Southbank Centre has been a place where emerging talent shares a space with global icons – a home for the writers, artists and musicians who define their moment and the audiences who discover them here first,” said Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre.
“As we mark this anniversary, Dua’s dedication to sharing her love for books, and her deep curiosity about the world, is exactly the spirit this building was built on. It’s a milestone year, and she’s the perfect curator to help us celebrate it.”
Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, added: “London Literature Festival has always been a celebration of the joys and pleasures of reading, and in Dua Lipa we have a curator who embodies that completely.
“Her programme reflects the full depth and breadth of her passion for books: from fierce new sensibilities pushing the boundaries of the form, to some of the most iconic writers at work today. This range and diversity reflects everything the Southbank Centre stands for, as we honour our roots and look ahead to the future.”
Tickets for the festival go on sale to Southbank Centre members on Monday August 3 at 10am, to Service95 members on Tuesday August 4 at 10am, and to the general public on Wednesday August 5 at 10am. Visit here for tickets and more information.
When it was first announced that Dua Lipa would be curating the event, the singer shared: “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. I’m thrilled to indulge one of my greatest obsessions: books and the brilliant minds behind them. I can’t wait to dive into the imaginations of some of my favourite authors in one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces.”
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