Dua Lipa Declares Fall 2026 Is For Poetry Fans With Latest Reading List

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Pop star Dua Lipa gave fans a peek into her fall reading list with an Instagram post that included a handful of slim poetry volumes. Lipa isn't just the undisputed queen of a leggy look; she is also known for her elite taste in reading material. Her book club, Service95, consistently picks heavy-hitting selections. "I genuinely love her book club," wrote one Reddit user. "Not only does she pick excellent books, but she is a shockingly good interviewer as well." Plus, one of Lipa's favorite books helped pave the way for her love story with Callum Turner.

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So, when Lipa declared that she's diving into poetry for fall, the world took note. Even better, her selections include a range of contemporary poets, including one who won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature. That means, whether you're someone who has loved reading poetry for decades or your new to the form, Lipa's picks are reads well worth your time. "Took a screenshot of the book stack for my TBR," wrote one Instagram commenter.

Anne Carson's lyrical, essayistic poems have long been beloved, and they're enjoying a particularly major moment of recognition since she was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize for Literature. As a result, it only makes sense that not one but two of Carson's genre-defying works landed among Dua Lipa's fall reading. The first, "Short Talks," was published in 1992 and is composed of 45 brief reflections on  a wide range of topics. Carson considers everything from housing to Franz Kafka. "These 'poems' come in small, unassuming packages that hide a jack-in-the-box of emotive phrases that pop out and punch you directly in the face but like, imagine that in a good way," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. Reviewers assigned it 4.09 stars on Goodreads.

Similarly, "Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse," which was published in 1998, is alternately erudite and playful. "I simply adore this book. It is a wild ride and whirlwind of poetry and Classical scholarship that is greater than the sum of its parts," wrote one Goodreads user. "Sure, it's poetry, but to call it a book of poetry also seems misleading as it is such a unique work of art." It earned 4.24 stars on Goodreads, with readers highlighting Carson's ability to balance raw emotion with interesting, original language.

Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib is known for writing that blends pop culture commentary with evocative personal experience. In his first full-length poetry collection, "The Crown Ain't Worth Much," he gives that unique perspective and voice a lyrical form. Throughout this 2016 book, Willis-Abdurraqib tackles complex topics including race, gender and trauma. It makes sense that Dua Lipa picked this volume up, since these are themes that frequently appear in many of the best picks from Lipa's book club, Service95.

Fans praised the book's wit and tenderness, awarding it 4.48 stars on Goodreads. "While these poems are awash in grief and sorrow, there is also a rather infectious humor and warmth to them as well. We have poems in defense of the word 'moist,' jokes on aging out of parties and into NPR," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. "There is also a lovely litany of music references, with Nick Drake, Jay-Z, Elliott Smith, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest and more harmonizing along with personal reflections." Additionally, Willis-Abdurraqib's experiences as a '90s kid make these poems nostalgic and bitingly familiar.

In his 2017 collection "Calling a Wolf a Wolf," author Kaveh Akbar dives into the depths of addiction and recovery. It's hardly surprising that this slim volume is among Dua Lipa's poetry picks, considering that Akbar's 2024 novel "Martyr!" was her September 2026 book club pick. But while "Calling a Wolf a Wolf" might deal with similar themes to his novel, the form here sets it apart. It's a memoir in poems that explores Akbar's struggles with alcoholism, confronting grief, despair and even hope. What emerges is a portrait of Akbar's resilience and tenacity, as well as his tenderness. In a testament to this collection's cultural cachet, indie artist Lucy Dacus called it, "One of the best poetry books I've ever read."

This collection earned 4.31 stars on Goodreads, with reviewers praising Akbar's compelling imagery and original language. Even at his most abstract and esoteric, Akbar's words are compulsively readable. "This was gorgeous and haunting," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. "Even when I didn't understand exactly what Kaveh was trying to say, the phrasing was so delicate and articulate that I couldn't help but stop and ponder the words." 

Warsan Shire probes the intersection of womanhood and displacement in her 2022 collection "Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice In Her Head." Shire gained national prominence after her lyrical words were incorporated into Beyoncé's "Lemonade" album. Now, throughout this newer collection, she centers on the lived experience of being a woman, including its wonders and harsh realities. Shire's Somali heritage is woven throughout the collection, as are her personal experiences navigating the bureaucratic process of immigration. Though her work is grounded in the personal, her empathy transcends the individual experience to become political.

The collection garnered 4.19 stars on Goodreads. Readers felt seen by Shire's depiction of the lives of women in a way that was deeply moving and that helped them to feel seen. "What struck me most was the tension she explores between faith and the cultural expectations surrounding womanhood," wrote one Goodreads user. "Shire's language has a way of shining a spotlight on the dark and unflinching indignities of being a woman loaded with emotional weight."

In her 2022 "Girls That Never Die" collection, author Safia Elhillo writes about her experience of Muslim girlhood. Heavily influenced by the tradition of magical realism, Elhillo explores themes of shame and power, while also interrogating the violence — including rape and female genital mutilation — that is endemic in the lives of women. The result is a delicate, feminist work of art. Through the collection, Elhillo weaves in glimpses of traditional and contemporary Sudanese culture, and unpacks her relationship to her own Arab heritage.

The collection earned 4.25 stars on Goodreads, with reviews praising Elhillo's clear-eyed honesty and vulnerability. "Truly, a stunning collection of poems," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. "I particularly appreciated the range of forms across the poems and the structure of the book as a whole. Many of the poems end in ways that will leave you gasping." Though she deals with hard topics, Elhillo never abandons her ability to find beauty in her depictions of real life.