In the city of Porto, in the legendary Lello bookshop, singer Dua Lipa opened a library that authorities would rather not see: a hundred books that are banned somewhere in the world. It's not a marketing trick, but a sanctuary for precisely those works someone tried to erase from the shelves.

The list itself is an indictment. „One Hundred Years of Solitude“ by Gabriel García Márquez - censored in Florida and Texas over supposedly explicit content. „1984“ by Orwell - banned again and again for its critique of totalitarianism. „Fahrenheit 451“ by Bradbury - ironically censored, even though it is the very book warning against the burning of books. „To Kill a Mockingbird“, „The Catcher in the Rye“, „The Handmaid's Tale“ - all flagged, all somewhere, at some time, removed by someone who feared them.

The figures the project cites are frightening. In 2023 alone, 4,240 books were censored in American schools and libraries. Throughout 2024, writers were arrested or imprisoned in over 40 countries for their work. Cuba, Venezuela and Lebanon legally punish material that criticises the government. Censorship is not a relic of the past - it operates today too, just dressed differently.

„Here you'll find 100 books that ask questions or were themselves called into question,“ Dua Lipa said. „Some were banned by school authorities because they talk about race or sexuality. Others, written for LGBT readers, were removed from the shelves.“ When a pop star does more for free speech than many culture ministries, that says something about both the pop stars and the ministries. And the question that hangs in the air: how many books would survive a list like this here?