Dua Lipa and the problem with celebrity book clubs

The pop star is rebooting her reading-themed podcast. It’s a noble endeavour, but big names and influencers are getting too comfy with the publishing industry

- Fiona Sturges

There are many ways a person can discover new books. They can browse the shelves of their local bookshop or library where they can also get specialist advice. They can wade through brutal reader write-ups on Goodreads, the literary world's answer to Tripadvisor. They can consult reviews by dedicated literary critics, such as The Independent's own Martin Chilton, to discover the best (and worst) of the month's releases. Or they can visit their preferred podcast app to hear what... Dua Lipa is reading?

If you're wondering quite how the British-Albanian disco colossus known for breezy singles including "New Rules" and "Love Again" has rebranded herself as a literary oracle, you're probably not alone. Pop star extra-curricular activities tend to involve flogging branded perfumes, makeup, clothing lines or, if you're the rock band Kiss, coffins and condoms. Kylie even has her own brand of wine.

But Lipa has opted for a more high-minded side-hustle with her literary podcast, Service95 Book Club, which has just relaunched on Spotify and where, by way of introduction, she says "reading has been an anchor through every phase of my life." Previous interviewees have included George Saunders, Emma Cline, Patti Smith, Khaled Husseini, Hernan Diaz and Patrick Radden Keefe; Lipa's first guest in the relaunched version is Jennifer Clement, talking about her book Widow Basquiat, which chronicles her friend Suzanne Mallouk's love affair with the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.