Dua Lipa has turned her love of reading into a permanent public space. The singer has opened the Manifesto Library, a new collection of 100 banned, censored and challenged books inside the famous Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, Portugal. The project was created with her Service95 Book Club and celebrates books that have faced attempts at censorship around the world.
Soon after the library opened, debate spread across social media. One viral post argued that many of the titles are not actually banned because readers can still buy them in bookstores or borrow them from many public libraries. The criticism has sparked fresh discussion over what the term 'banned book' really means.
A Library Built Around Censored Stories
The Manifesto Library opened on 27 June during Portugal's BABELL – City of Books festival. It is housed inside Livraria Lello, one of the world's best-known bookshops, and marks the first physical extension of Dua Lipa's Service95 Book Club.
The collection includes 100 books organised into four themes: Power, Control, Voice and Memory. Visitors can browse works that have been banned, censored or publicly challenged because of their ideas, political messages or discussions of race, sexuality and identity.
Among the featured titles are Beloved by Toni Morrison, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Trial by Franz Kafka, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Many of the books have won major literary awards while also facing restrictions in schools or libraries.
Why Some Readers Disagree With the Name
The online criticism began after an X user claimed that none of the books were 'really banned' because they remain widely available. The post suggested that truly banned books would include titles that cannot easily be purchased or borrowed.
I looked through the list of "banned books" and not one of them is a really banned book.
— Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil) July 12, 2026
Several are actually critically-acclaimed best sellers!
Come on Dua Lipa, open a library containing The Camp of the Saints, The Turner Diaries, and Suicide, mode d'emploi. https://t.co/mBdt89ckXx pic.twitter.com/CQ8HDDkhPM
That view, however, does not match how most organisations define book bans. In the publishing and library world, a banned book is generally one that has been removed or restricted from a school, library or other public institution following complaints or official action. It does not have to be illegal across an entire country.
I tried to order a book documenting Native American attacks on settlers in New England and the only available copies were over $400. That's what a "banned book" looks like.
— Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) July 13, 2026
But the Left wants to pretend The Handmaid's Tale is some impossible to obtain, forbidden manuscript. https://t.co/pGoIt5BjDN
As a result, many books in Dua Lipa's library have been banned or challenged in specific schools, districts or countries while remaining available elsewhere. That difference explains why they can still appear on shop shelves despite carrying the label of a banned or challenged book.
Dua Lipa's Message Behind the Project
Lipa described the library as a place for books that 'ask questions or have been questioned'. She said some titles were removed because they discuss race or sexuality, while others were restricted because they were written for LGBTQIA+ readers. She also noted that some authors have faced serious consequences for expressing their views.
The singer said she hopes the library encourages people to read widely and think critically rather than letting others decide what stories deserve to be read. The project continues the mission of Service95 Book Club, which regularly introduces readers to writers from different cultures and backgrounds.
While opinions remain divided over the phrase 'banned books', the discussion has drawn new attention to censorship around the world. Whether readers agree with the label or not, the Manifesto Library has already succeeded in getting people to talk about who decides which stories stay on the shelf.
