Dua Lipa reveals curated line-up for London Literature Festival with Patti Smith, Mustafa, Zadie Smith and more
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Dua Lipa has unveiled the full line-up for the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre, which she is curating as part of the venue's 75th anniversary year. Running from Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, this is the 19th edition of the festival, making it London's longest-running literature and spoken word event, and it ties in with Lipa's Service95 Book Club, which she launched in 2023.
Highlights include Lipa in conversation with Zadie Smith on 23 October about her debut novel White Teeth, Sudanese-Canadian poet and musician Mustafa on 24 October discussing his collection NOUR, and Patti Smith on 25 October talking about her memoir Bread Of Angels. The wider programme also features Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, authors Hernan Diaz and Malorie Blackman, a Translated Fiction Showcase, a Kae Tempest-featuring "Fierce Sounds" event, an Indie Night, a Creative Future Writers' Day awards ceremony, and a multi-artform event, Tice Cin: Safe Spaces. Lipa said curating the programme with her Book Club had been "a true joy", bringing together "icons as well as emerging voices from across the arts".
- Dua Lipa's full London Literature Festival line-up confirmed for 21 Oct–1 Nov 2026
- Guests include Zadie Smith, Mustafa, Patti Smith and Nadia Murad
- Marks Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary and festival's 19th edition
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Dua Lipa, the pop singer, has put together her own line-up for the London Literature Festival, an annual event held at the Southbank Centre. She is doing this as part of the venue's 75th anniversary celebrations, and the festival ties in with her Service95 Book Club, a reading club she started in 2023 through her Service95 newsletter.
The festival itself is long-running, now in its 19th year, and brings together authors, poets and spoken word performers for talks, readings and discussions. This year's edition, taking place across eleven days in autumn 2026, includes well-known names from literature and music, among them the novelist Zadie Smith, the singer-songwriter and poet Mustafa, and the musician and writer Patti Smith, alongside other authors and award ceremonies for newer writers.
The story matters mainly to readers interested in books, culture and public events in London, since it sets out who is appearing and when, ahead of tickets and audiences deciding whether to attend.