Pop star and proud Londoner Dua Lipa has put together a personal 'reading map' of the capital — a curated pick of the bookshops and literary corners she loves best, shared via Secret London. For anyone who'd rather spend a day in the city browsing shelves than queueing for landmarks, it's a genuinely useful starting point.
The idea is simple: rather than a list of generic tourist stops, the map reflects the places one of the world's biggest pop stars actually goes to read and buy books around London. Think independent bookshops, cosy corners and neighbourhood haunts — the kind of spots locals guard and visitors rarely stumble across.
Why does a celebrity's bookshop list matter to travellers? Because London's reading culture is one of its best free experiences. The city supports hundreds of independent bookshops, from the storied lanes of Notting Hill to east London's edgier hubs, and wandering between them is one of the nicest ways to see neighbourhoods you'd otherwise skip. A list drawn up by someone who grew up in the city cuts through the tourist noise.
Practically speaking, a reading-themed day out in London works well because it pairs naturally with the city's cafés, pubs and parks. Pick up a book, wander to a green space or a quiet pub, and you've got an afternoon that costs little more than the price of a paperback. Most of London's celebrated bookshop districts — Charing Cross Road, Bloomsbury, Hackney — are easy to reach on the Tube.
Even if you don't track down every stop on Lipa's list, it's a reminder that some of the best travel intel now comes from locals and public figures sharing their personal itineraries. In a city as big as London, a shortcut like that is worth folding into your plans.
