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Dua Lipa with long straight brown hair, wearing a satin yellow shirt.

London Literature Festival

Tue 20 Oct – Sun 1 Nov 2026

Dua Lipa brings her passion for the written and spoken word as curator of the 2026 festival

The Grammy and Brit Award-winning global superstar and founder of the Service95 Book Club curates a line-up of her favourite established and emerging writers.

Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival is generously supported by Bukhman Philanthropies.

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Wednesday 7 October

Special Edition: Shanzhai Lyric Runway Reading
A pile of colourful T-Shirts randomly arranged.

Special Edition: Shanzhai Lyric Runway Reading

Literature & poetry
National Poetry Library

Tuesday 20 October

Michael Lewis: Blockers
A close-up portrait of a smiling man with brown hair wearing a white collared shirt under a dark navy blue v-neck sweater.

Michael Lewis: Blockers

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language. Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Royal Festival Hall

Wednesday 21 October

The Children's Bookshow with Katherine Rundell
Author Katherine Rundell smiles while holding her book

The Children's Bookshow with Katherine Rundell

Literature & poetry
Queen Elizabeth Hall
This is a schools event
Ta-Nehisi Coates & Tareq Baconi: On Freedom
A side-by-side portrait showing a man with short grey-flecked hair wearing a light blue button-down shirt on the left, and a man with wavy dark hair wearing a dark grey t-shirt on the right.

Ta-Nehisi Coates & Tareq Baconi: On Freedom

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Hernan Diaz: Ply
A close-up portrait of a man with short buzzed hair looking into the camera, wearing an olive-green buttoned jacket.

Hernan Diaz: Ply

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room

Thursday 22 October

Service95 Book Club: Nadia Murad in Conversation
A three-quarter portrait of a woman with long, wavy brown hair looking forward, wearing an asymmetrical terracotta dress.

Service95 Book Club: Nadia Murad in Conversation

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
Kwame Dawes: Afro-Style School & Kinships
A black and white, motion-blurred photograph captures the silhouettes of a large group of dancers mid-movement in a bright dance studio.

Kwame Dawes: Afro-Style School & Kinships

Literature & poetry
National Poetry Library

Friday 23 October

Joseph Coelho & Friends
Poet Joseph Coelho in a brightly coloured outfit falling from the sky

Joseph Coelho & Friends

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language. Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
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Out-Spoken: October
A three-panel split image showing headshots of a woman with short brown hair, a man with glasses and a goatee, and a man in a dark button-up shirt.

Out-Spoken: October

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Indie Night: October
Two peoples profiles are grey and collaged with an image of piles of books and a dotted square.

Indie Night: October

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room

Saturday 24 October

Poetry Day!
A person in a lime green shirt browsing a selection of poetry books

Poetry Day!

Literature & poetry
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Free
A Celebration of British Somali Poetry
A three-quarter portrait of Momtaza Mehri looking upward, wearing a black hijab and matching black linen jacket.

A Celebration of British Somali Poetry

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
Orwell's England: 85 Years Later
British author and screenwriter Nikesh Shukla wearing a black shirt and leaning on the back of a chair

Orwell's England: 85 Years Later

Literature & poetry
Royal Festival Hall
Dua Lipa & Zadie Smith: White Teeth
Author Zadie Smith wearing hoop earrings and a red shirt

Dua Lipa & Zadie Smith: White Teeth

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language. Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Royal Festival Hall
Words In, Words Out: A Night in With Koestler Arts
Five volumes of poetry from Koestler Voices

Words In, Words Out: A Night in With Koestler Arts

Literature & poetry
Royal Festival Hall
Poems on the Underground: 40th Anniversary
A man in a peaked cap reading a poem on a tube train

Poems on the Underground: 40th Anniversary

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony: Live Stream
Audience members in the Southbank Centre\'s Queen Elizabeth Hall

The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony: Live Stream

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Online Events
Free
The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony
Five smiling award winners stand in a row holding blue booklets against a black, yellow, and blue curtain backdrop.

The 2026 Forward Prizes for Poetry Ceremony

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language. Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Dua Lipa & Mustafa: Nour
A black and white close-up portrait of a man looking over his shoulder while seated inside a vehicle, gripping a backpack strap.

Dua Lipa & Mustafa: Nour

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language. Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Royal Festival Hall

Sunday 25 October

Creative Future Writers' Day
People browse books at tables in a large, wide brutalist hall with exposed concrete pillars and warm wooden ceiling lights.

Creative Future Writers' Day

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Purcell Room
Free
Creative Future Writers' Day: Live Stream
Speakers seated onstage at Creative Future Writers Day

Creative Future Writers' Day: Live Stream

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Online Events
Free
Out-Spoken Masterclass: October
Group of people sat around a long table all writing onto paper

Out-Spoken Masterclass: October

Literature & poetry
Royal Festival Hall
Debut London Literature
A group of people sat in an audience in yellow lighting

Debut London Literature

Literature & poetry
Royal Festival Hall
Dua Lipa & Patti Smith: Bread of Angels
A black and white portrait of Patti Smith raising her hand with palm facing out, leaning against a wooden fence.

Dua Lipa & Patti Smith: Bread of Angels

Literature & poetry
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language. Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Royal Festival Hall
V. E. Schwab: Victorious
A woman with reddish-brown hair and glasses smiles while sitting in a dimly lit room surrounded by houseplants.

V. E. Schwab: Victorious

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Go All In: Gaming and the Power of Story
Artwork from the game Directive 8020. A person wearing a space helmet standing in front of a derelict building with smoke and red lighting

Go All In: Gaming and the Power of Story

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room

Wednesday 28 October

The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Service95 Book Club: Translated Fiction Showcase
A woman with long wavy dark hair sits thoughtfully with her fist under her chin against a warm brown background.

Service95 Book Club: Translated Fiction Showcase

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
Malorie Blackman: Noughts & Crosses at 25
Portrait of author Malorie Blackman. She sits in a garden wearing a patterned blue top and a lace cover up.

Malorie Blackman: Noughts & Crosses at 25

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Queen Elizabeth Hall

Thursday 29 October

The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Tice Cin: Safe Spaces
British writer Tice Cin standing by a tree

Tice Cin: Safe Spaces

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room

Friday 30 October

The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Creative Future Writers' Award Showcase
An audience sits in a row, looking up at a stage and clapping under warm lighting at a literary event or convention.

Creative Future Writers' Award Showcase

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Royal Festival Hall
Creative Future Writers' Award Showcase: Live Stream
Audience members chat and laugh in their seats during an intermission at a brightly lit indoor cultural event.

Creative Future Writers' Award Showcase: Live Stream

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Online Events
Free
The Funny Business of Serious Literature
A man with salt-and-pepper facial hair and dark hair looks toward the camera with a gentle smile while sitting in a wheelchair near a coastal walkway with the sea in the background.

The Funny Business of Serious Literature

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
Service95 Book Club: Fierce Sounds
Kae Tempest against a dark orange background

Service95 Book Club: Fierce Sounds

Literature & poetry
Speech-to-Text transcribed - A transcribed performance shows live text of the dialogue and sound on screens.
Queen Elizabeth Hall

Saturday 31 October

The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Service95 and English PEN: Censorship Live!
A man with blue eyes, a dark blazer, and a red patterned shirt sits with hands clasped, looking at the camera.

Service95 and English PEN: Censorship Live!

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Counterpoints Masterclass with Hisham Matar
A black-and-white photo of American-Libyan novelist and essayist Hisham Matar standing in a forest

Counterpoints Masterclass with Hisham Matar

Literature & poetry
Royal Festival Hall
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
British Sign Language interpreted (BSL) - The performance includes a live interpreter who translates the show into British Sign Language.
Queen Elizabeth Hall
Wasafiri: New Writing Prize 2026
Four panelists sit on a stage speaking into microphones before an audience, with large windows overlooking a city at night.

Wasafiri: New Writing Prize 2026

Literature & poetry
Royal Festival Hall
Service95 Book Club: Rewriting Male Tenderness
Author Caleb Azumah Nelson wearing an orange jumper standing in front of a tree

Service95 Book Club: Rewriting Male Tenderness

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room

Sunday 1 November

The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Smeds and the Smoos
A colorful children's illustration of a red alien and a blue alien holding hands on a desert planet under a huge moon.

The Smeds and the Smoos

Family & young people
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Goldsmiths Prize Shortlist Readings
Audience members seated in an auditorium chatting with the people around them

The Goldsmiths Prize Shortlist Readings

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
The Goldsmiths Prize Shortlist Readings: Live Stream
An audience sits close together in a lecture hall or theater, looking attentively toward a speaker off-camera.

The Goldsmiths Prize Shortlist Readings: Live Stream

Literature & poetry
Online Events
Free
Xiaolu Guo: AI-esque
A three-quarter portrait of a smiling woman looking back over her shoulder, wearing a dark blazer and colorful earrings.

Xiaolu Guo: AI-esque

Literature & poetry
Purcell Room
Xiaolu Guo: AI-esque – Live Stream
A black and white close-up portrait of a woman looking over her shoulder, seated in front of large windows on a boat.

Xiaolu Guo: AI-esque – Live Stream

Literature & poetry
Online Events
Free

While you're with us

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms
People enjoying the Jeppe Hein Fountain at the Southbank Centre

Jeppe Hein: Appearing Rooms

A summer favourite returns to our site with water fountains to splash around and cool down in.

Shopping
Wooden displays in the Southbank centre shop, featuring books, plushies, and colourful merchandise

Shopping

A vibrant range of inspiring books, homeware, prints, accessories and more.

Klaus Weber: Thinking Fountains
Two statues; a green human body with water spouting from its neck and another of human legs with water pouring down from above displayed outdoors

Thinking
Fountains

Water cascades and spouts over Klaus Weber’s bronze figures.

Modified Social Benches
Two children eating ice cream on a red cirrcular bench

Modified Social Benches

Benches that challenge the space and distance we place between one another.

William Pye's Zemran
A photograph showing Riverside Terrace at Southbank Centre, with the metal sculpture Zemran in the foreground, next to Queen Elizabeth Hall

William Pye's Zemran

Pye’s beautiful stainless steel sculpture sits overlooking the Thames.

Natura Nostra Forest
Bright sunlight bursts through green leaves with a lens flare, set against a blue sky and a textured concrete building.

Natura Nostra Forest

Our growing pocket forest creating a natural oasis.