Dua Lipa joins the book swap bringing fresh reads to London’s South Bank

Your next good read could start with a book you have already finished. A free exchange at the Southbank Centre is inviting Londoners to bring a title they love, leave a recommendation and choose something different to take home. It is part of this year’s London Literature Festival, whose curator is Dua Lipa, and offers a simple way to join the programme without booking a talk.

The Book Swap is running at the Royal Festival Hall until Sunday 1 November. For anyone heading into central London this weekend, it is an easy cultural stop to build into the day: one book in your bag, a little time to browse and a willingness to try an unfamiliar author. The pleasure is in discovering what another reader thought worth passing on.

A pop star’s reading world comes to the South Bank

The Southbank Centre announced the exchange as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations. Its press release names Dua Lipa among the contributors, alongside writers, performers and artists from the wider programme. Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen, Max Porter, Elizabeth Day and Self Esteem are also among those named by the organiser. The mix connects the festival’s literary focus with the music and performance audiences who already know those voices.

Those contributions are being introduced during the event rather than presented as a fixed collection available to everyone at once. South Bank London says books from the celebrity contributors will be dropped into the exchange across its opening days. That makes this a browsing experience, not a promise that a particular visitor will find Dua Lipa’s choice. Nor does a donated recommendation mean the contributor will be there when you visit.

How the exchange works

Bring one book, add a short recommendation on the supplied sticker and leave it for someone else. You can then choose a different book from the shelves. The organiser welcomes fiction, poetry, memoir and other non-fiction, with options for younger readers too. This is an exchange rather than a library loan: the book you take does not have to be returned, although passing it onwards is encouraged.

For your note, our suggestion is to be specific without revealing the ending. You might explain that a novel made a long commute fly by, that a memoir changed how you thought about someone, or that a poetry collection was especially good to read aloud. A personal reason is more inviting than simply calling a book brilliant. Think of it as the written equivalent of recommending a favourite track to a friend.

Check the dates before travelling

The official event listing gives opening hours of 10am to 8pm, with an earlier 7.30pm finish on Sunday 1 November. Crucially, the exchange is closed on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October. It is in the Blue Side Foyer on Level 2 of the Royal Festival Hall and is free, with no ticket required. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Check the event page before setting out, as times can change.

Choose a clean copy in good condition, as requested by the organiser. Before leaving home, it is also worth checking between the pages for receipts, personal notes or anything you meant to keep. If you are bringing children, invite them to pick a book they would genuinely recommend to another reader. That small decision can make the exchange feel like their own discovery rather than another grown-up errand.

Make a reading stop part of your day

The Southbank Centre’s address is Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. Its visitor information identifies Waterloo and Embankment as nearby Tube stations, with Waterloo also providing rail connections. Anyone planning an accessible route should consult the centre’s access information as well as their transport provider’s current journey details. The Book Swap’s opening hours are the relevant ones to follow; they are shorter than the general Royal Festival Hall building hours.

There is no need to turn the visit into a shopping trip. Allow yourself time to read a few opening pages and try a genre you would usually walk past. If you are meeting a friend, choosing a book for each other could give the afternoon a different shape. Our advice is to arrive curious rather than with a particular title in mind: the available selection depends on what other people have brought.

A recommendation that keeps travelling

According to South Bank London, books left over from the initiative will be donated to Upper Norwood Library Trust in Lambeth. That gives the exchange a life beyond the festival itself. For visitors, the immediate invitation is refreshingly straightforward: clear a little space on your shelf, share a story that stayed with you and let someone else introduce you to the next one.

Sources and visiting information: official Book Swap listing, Southbank Centre announcement, South Bank London guide.