Porto, Portugal — Ekhbary News Agency
Pop star Dua Lipa has expanded her cultural influence beyond music, launching the "Manifesto Library" in Porto, Portugal. Housed within the historic Livraria Lello, this new initiative champions the freedom to read, featuring 100 titles that reportedly challenge censorship and dominant narratives.
A Curated Collection with Contradictions
The project, co-curated by Lipa's Service95 and the bookshop staff, aims to highlight books often targeted for bans. While the collection draws from global literature, a significant focus remains on the history and politics of the United States, reflecting concerns over censorship in a nation that often projects an image of freedom. Ironically, access to this symbol of literary liberty requires purchasing a timed-entry ticket, costing over 15 euros, to enter the famously crowded Livraria Lello.
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The Shifting Landscape of Book Bans
This endeavor arrives as the discourse around book bans grows increasingly complex. Historically, scattered attempts at censorship have evolved into highly organized campaigns, with the American Library Association noting a dramatic increase from an average of 273 challenged titles annually between 2001 and 2020, to over 4,000 in 2025 alone. The Manifesto Library, for what it's worth, includes titles like George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, though it also features works that have never faced bans, such as Min Jin Lee's Pachinko. The project, therefore, underscores the evolving nature of literary freedom debates.
