Dua Lipa says the “simple pleasure” of reading helped her through “hectic” times on tour and to connect with her heritage.
In a keynote speech given at the 2022 Booker Prize ceremony, the singer-songwriter, 27, said good writing “has the power to make people feel seen”.
The award was won by Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka for his novel The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida and presented by the Queen Consort.
In her remarks during the event, at The Roundhouse in London, Lipa credited Ismail Kadare, who won the inaugural International Booker Prize, for testing her language skills as a child.
“It’s such an honour to be amongst some of the world’s greatest literary minds to talk about one of the most profound joys in the world: the simple pleasure of reading a book,” she said.
“Reading is a passion that has taken many forms for me. Like countless other London school children, my early obsessions included Roald Dahl and Malorie Blackman, both of whom gave me little pearls of wisdom that still guide me today.”
Lipa said Kadare’s work also helped her “connect with my family’s heritage and identity as Kosovan Albanians”.
“I learned about the Albanian spirit of resistance, that same stubborn determination that keeps Kosovans fighting for international recognition for our independence today,” she said.
The Brit Award winner continued: “I often wonder if authors realise just how many gifts they give us.
“Today, touring commitments take me all over the globe and life is often hectic. Sometimes just to survive, I need to adopt a tough exterior.
“And at these times, it is books that soften me.
“Good writing has the power to make people feel seen and has to tell stories that the world has ignored.
“We all just want to love and to be loved and to find our place in the world, and authors really help us do that.”
Earlier this year, Lipa launched a podcast – Dua Lipa: At Your Service – in which she speaks to guests including renowned authors.
Concluding her remarks, she addressed the shortlisted authors, saying: “Whether your book was something you wrote solely for yourself, to change the world or simply because you felt like you had to, thank you for allowing us into the worlds that you create.
“It really does mean a lot to us readers.”
