Banned books under the roof of a 120-year-old bookstore: Dua Lipa opens new library

The Manifesto Library has opened inside the 120-year-old Livraria Lello bookstore in Porto, Portugal, bringing together 100 books that have been banned or censored throughout history for political or historical reasons, Euronews reports.

The library was established by Dua Lipa.

In a press release, Lipa called the new library “a dream partnership” and a result of years of pushing her mission forward.

“When I founded the Service95 Book Club, my ambition was for it to become a home for writers and readers, wherever they are and whatever their circumstances,” she said, referring to her Service95 Book Club, which recommends a book each month and sees / hears Lipa interviewing its author for an accompanying podcast.

The new library extends the mission of Lipa’s Service95 Book Club.

Lipa said visitors will find 100 books that raise important questions, adding that “in some cases, the author has paid for their words with their life.”

“This library is a shrine to books that have disappeared, to authors whose courage unmasks structures of power and control, and to readers who refuse to be told what book they are allowed to read. You are invited to visit and decide for yourself what belongs on these shelves. Because sometimes the most subversive thing you can do is read a book and then talk about it,” Lipa stated.