On Sunday 25 October 2026, Grammy and BRIT award-winning global superstar and founder of the Service95 Book Club Dua Lipa hosted her third and final in-conversation talk as part of her curation of this year’s London Literature Festival. Over the weekend (24th & 25th), at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, Dua Lipa delivered three sold out, extraordinary and unforgettable conversations with global icon Patti Smith on Sunday, as well as acclaimed author Zadie Smith and multi-hyphenate Mustafa on Saturday, as part of her and Service95’s extensive programming of the festival which runs until Sunday 1 November.
Both Zadie and Patti’s conversations were recorded live for the Service95 Book Club podcast. Founded by Dua Lipa, the Service95 Book Club is a space to enjoy all things literary, including Dua Lipa’s hand-picked Monthly Reads and her exclusive author interviews, plus new book trends, recommendations from the Service95 team and more ways for you to read the world differently.
Dua delivered a moving, personal interview with icon Patti Smith, receiving a rapturous standing ovation. In a third sold-out Royal Festival Hall event, the pair discussed Patti’s captivating memoir, Bread of Angels. The wide-ranging conversation also touched on Patti’s family and earliest experiences with art, from a formative experience with a Picasso aged 12 to leaving the church when she was told there was no room for art. This sense of resolute independence has carried through Patti’s remarkable life, marking her as a free spirit and a leading cultural influence. The pair discussed Patti’s begrudging celebrity, and explored questions around the craft of writing and the healing power of art.
They also movingly discussed Patti’s beloved late husband Fred “Sonic” Smith, and his seismic and enduring influence on her life. Both women are world-renowned performers as well as passionate readers, and they explored the crossover between lyrics and prose, the grounding potential of literature to anchor a life lived in pursuit of creativity, and the power of artistic freedom.
They shared a tender and vulnerable discussion about the power of the written word to capture heavy experiences and hold difficult emotions, with Patti noting that “books are precious,” and sharing reflections on the daily gestures, big and small, that constitute her bread of angels.
It followed on from Dua’s moving, in-depth conversation on Saturday with best-selling author Zadie Smith on her groundbreaking debut novel White Teeth, one of the most celebrated novels of the century, as the pair explored culture, class, and connection. In a rare conversation about the novel, which Zadie confessed she is yet to reread, the two artists delved into the beloved characters, unpacking their complex positions in both the late seventies setting of the novel and how they might translate into today’s charged political climate.
They explored class sensibilities, how their dual heritage upbringings fostered a mutual fascination with juxtapositions, the impact of finding fame at a young age and questions of legacy and living in the spotlight, and the importance of listening when writing both lyrics and prose.
Later on Saturday, Dua hosted a tender and intimate conversation with Canadian poet, singer, songwriter and filmmaker Mustafa. The sold-out event saw Dua engage in enlivening, enlightening conversation with the multifaceted artist, with Dua dedicating a reading of ‘Ode to Friendship’ by Noor Hindi to him, as the pair delved into their lifelong love of poetry, discussing their idols and mutual love of words. They spoke in depth about Mustafa’s poetry collection Nour, which he made available for free in 2025 in the hope it would be found by those who need it most. The evening also saw readings from special guests including poets Victoria Chang and Safia Elhillo.
The three in-conversation events were highlights in a rich and interdisciplinary line-up of events curated by Dua Lipa and her Service95 Book Club, with a programme including a meditation on the power of rhythm, form, and sound in writing, Fierce Sounds with Kae Tempest (30 Oct); a life-affirming evening dedicated to Re-Writing Male Tenderness, exploring the power of prose to hold complex emotions, and asking how masculinity and vulnerability might coexist (31 Oct); an evening dedicated to today’s finest Translated Fiction Showcase (28 Oct); and a timely and urgent meditation from journalists, writers and activists on the rising threats to free expression in Censorship Live! with English PEN (31 Oct).