Divas with an alternative interest: How Stars Like Dua Lipa Are Trading Spotlights for Story Circles.

Have you seen Dua on a stage? Complete diva, she is in her body suit, which is glam disco and 70s-inspired flash mixed with high fashion. The way she is performing, contorting her body almost bare, does not leave you with the thought that this could come from her.

“Wherever I go, take a look in my bag, and you’ll find a well-thumbed book (or four). I will never tire of how reading opens my eyes to worlds beyond my own. And its power to bring people together.” — as told in her newsletter, which she curates as part of Service95, a book club she runs.

A lot of meaningful book recommendations come from her, and she also reads updates. She also has a podcast where she sits down with authors of all ages, and the conversations mostly cover how their books can guide you through life’s curveballs.

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And Service95 runs a thriving Instagram community as well, with their monthly read recommendations, book release notifications, and, of of course, the podcast, which brings you closer to the author and his/her thought process in writing a book.

Would you think she would use her popularity for this cause? She is all set to host and be curator for Southbank Centre’s 2026 London Literature Festival, running from Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. This marks the festival’s nineteenth edition, and it’s the longest-running literature and spoken word festival in London. It’s a shift from performer to programmer for her, stepping into a role previously held by figures like Harry Styles and David Bowie.

Service 95 is heaven for someone who shares her interests in list collection and everything related to books.

from Service 95 website — https://www.service95.com

Somehow, it leaves you feeling like you identify with someone who knows you and wants to grow with you. Although she is the DUA LIPA!

Pretty huge by most measures, though exact dollar figures floating around online are wildly inconsistent, so take any single net worth number with a grain of salt.

But at heart, she is like me. Looking for new books and trying to connect to a community of readers and talk to people who resonate with the same interests.

So is Ressses Book club, although I have subscribed to it, I never could concentrate on it, as Dua’s community is keeping me busy. But here it is for reference.

Closer to home, to another Singer, in the list of women who influence me more than their onscreen presence is here.

Mary Ann is a homegrown Indian R&B singer. Shows her mettle in songs like “Over the Ocean “ and her Malayalam movie debut, “Stuti”. Her musical style draws on R&B, jazz, and soul, but is reinterpreted through her own Malayali cultural lens.

She runs a community on Instagram to explore your artistic side by encouraging you to read and practise the methods here. She is exploring The Artist’s Way, a book built around a twelve-week program designed to help people unlock or recover their creativity.

Quoting her here: "That's why I’m becoming less interested in the idea of ‘finding your calling’ and more interested in creating ways to hear yourself.”

Profound and impressive for a young artist like her. Inspires picking up that journal and trying to explore the self once more. As she says, she has taken this course multiple times before and is still trying it once more now.

Parvathy, the Indian actress, is better known for her stance on issues that matter to her. But she extends that to all around her, and that’s what makes her special. She has a journal journey, which is posts on her profile. Together with Ann’s pursuits, it helped me kickstart this pursuit more to explore myself.

Sonali Bendre is a veteran Indian actress, best known for her work in Hindi and Telugu cinema. She is also an author, having written a couple of books over the years that touch on topics like beauty and her health journey, alongside her acting and brand endorsement work. She also runs a very successful book club that offers great book recommendations and meetups in Mumbai.

There are many more such women from whom we could learn how to multiplex.

What is your list?