Sunday at the Hay Festival, award-winning vocalist Dua Lipa enthralled fans by speaking candidly about how “perseverance” contributed to her success.
She told the audience, “I’ve wanted to be a pop star since I was young, but it never seemed possible.”
As a child who moved between her parents’ native Kosovo and London, she stated that her adaptability was advantageous.
She stated at a prestigious literary festival, “I’ve always been a newcomer.”
Her audience was a diverse group, but there were a significant number of parents waiting in queue with adolescent daughters who were scrolling through Dua’s Instagram feed as they waited to be seated.
It is well-known that the One Kiss singer enjoys literature. The previous year, she spoke at the Booker Prize ceremony about the influence of literature.
Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses (“a first step into understanding racism and classism” when she was 10) and Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being was cited as books that marked pivotal moments in her life.
Born in London after her parents fled the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, she and her parents moved back to Kosovo when she was 11 years old. At age 15, she returned to the United Kingdom to take her GCSEs and pursue a music career.
“There was always the idea of being from two places at once,” she explained. “At a young age, I understood the duality of my heritage. People would always inquire about the origin of my appellation.
“I was proud of it, but when I was younger I wished my name was, say, Hannah – something ‘normal’ and English.”
In addition to “making up dance routines in the school playground,” the singer stated that “reading was such an important part of my life.”
When she moved to Kosovo, she discovered The Castle/The Siege by the Albanian author Ismail Kadare, which is set in the 15th century during a conflict.
“The memory I have of reading it is that it was extremely challenging, as it is a large volume, but it was a gateway to my Albanian ancestry. It was another defining occasion in my life that fundamentally altered my circumstances.”
When she returned to London at the age of 15, she did so alone and shared a residence with the daughter of family friends from Kosovo. This would be quite intimidating for most immature adolescents.
“Troublesome relationship”
“I was quite determined,” Dua said. “I did not have the same opportunities in music as I did in London. And I was motivated. My father says it’s difficult to say no to me!”
After completing her education, she pursued a career in the music industry.
“I was very determined. I recently began writing extensively and collaborated with a producer. And I was 17. I was offered a publishing contract, but [producer] Felix advised me to consult a lawyer, who advised me not to sign. They then assisted me in entering the studio.”
She explained: “I was in a relationship with someone who had a very different concept of fidelity than I did.”
The 1994 classic The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera helped her get through it.
In the deep end
“[Main character] Tomas has a very unapologetic outlook on monogamy and relationships. My philosophy has never changed, but reading helps you comprehend the emotions and experiences of others,” she explained.
On her podcast Dua Lipa: At Your Service, Dua has interviewed renowned authors such as Hanya Yanagihara, author of A Little Life, due to her passion for literature. She also recorded a special episode with Shuggie Bain author and Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart at Hay on Saturday, the first book of the month selection for her new Service95 book club.
“Sometimes I’m still puzzling things out. Why not give something a shot if you like it? “You’ll never know until you take the plunge,” she said.
“That was my experience with the podcast. I was utterly terrified but extremely thrilled. Would I be an effective interlocutor, and could I keep the conversation going?
“Perhaps I flourish when thrown into the deep end. Being outside of my comfort zone encourages me to take risks.
