The festival, taking place from October 21 to November 1, will mark the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary and is curated by Dua Lipa in collaboration with her Service95 team. It will feature both established and emerging voices, with Sufiyaan taking part in an evening event. Away from the page, Sufiyaan is already a rising name in British film. His short Magid / Zafar, set in a British‑Pakistani takeaway, won Best British Short at the British Independent Film Awards in 2025 and went on to be nominated for Best British Short Film at this year’s Baftas, following selections at BFI London Film Festival and Clermont‑Ferrand. For the London Literature Festival, Dua Lipa is translating that energy into a public event, combining established literary figures with rising talent like Sufiyaan Salam.