News : Dua Lipa Speaks With Patti Smith at London Literature Festival

Grammy and BRIT Award-winning global star Dua Lipa brought a weekend of inspiring discussions at the London Literature Festival to a close last night, receiving a standing ovation alongside legendary artist Patti Smith. Through her Service95 Book Club, the singer curated a major part of this year's programme at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, hosting three sold-out events focused on books, music and creative expression.

On Sunday evening, Dua Lipa sat down with Patti Smith for an open and personal conversation about Smith's memoir, Bread of Angels. In front of a packed audience, the two celebrated artists discussed how art can help people heal, the process of writing and the connections between songwriting and prose. Smith looked back on the experiences that shaped her artistic journey, her commitment to independence and the lasting impact of her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith. They also explored how writing can help people make sense of complicated feelings, with Smith reminding the audience that "books are precious."

The event followed two headline conversations hosted by Dua on Saturday. She first welcomed bestselling author Zadie Smith for an in-depth discussion about her acclaimed debut novel, White Teeth. Their conversation covered cultural identity, class, experiencing fame at a young age and the ways the novel's much-loved characters connect with the political landscape today. Later that evening, Dua met Canadian poet, singer and filmmaker Mustafa for an intimate discussion about their mutual love of poetry and literature, sharing readings from his collection Nour.

Both Dua's conversation with Zadie Smith and her discussion with Patti Smith were recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall and will be released as special episodes of the Service95 Book Club podcast. Created by Dua Lipa, the platform connects readers around the world with exclusive conversations with authors, monthly book recommendations and new perspectives on literature.

Dua Lipa's specially curated Service95 programme will continue as part of the London Literature Festival until Sunday, 1 November 2026.

The remaining programme features Kae Tempest presenting Fierce Sounds, a discussion titled Re-Writing Male Tenderness, a Translated Fiction Showcase and English PEN's Censorship Live!