Dua Lipa: The Unauthorized Biography

by Caroline Sullivan

Discover the fascinating story behind the rise of a new pop Dua Lipa.

When Dua Lipa was eleven, her music teacher told her she wasn’t good enough to join her school choir – her husky voice couldn’t reach the high notes.

Sixteen years later, she’s a global star . Her songs are pop anthems, streamed billions of times; she’s collaborated with everyone from Calvin Harris and Miley Cyrus to Madonna and Elton John; she’s won Grammys, BRITs and MTV awards; and she’s the biggest homegrown talent to emerge from the UK music scene since Ed Sheeran and Adele.

Dua’s rise has been all the more impressive given that her Kosovan parents arrived in London as refugees, but her determination , hard work and undeniable voice have seen her transcend these humble beginnings, all while remaining fiercely proud of her heritage .

In this revealing biography from the publishers of Harry , Ariana and Adele , pop music journalist Caroline Sullivan charts Dua’s fascinating journey to pop superstardom . Spanning everything from her mainstream breakthrough to her sold-out Future Nostalgia Tour, and exploring her influences, activism and high-profile personal life, it paints the most complete portrait yet of this icon in the making .

256 pages, Hardcover

Published July 11, 2023

About the author

I'm not the Caroline Sullivan who writes poetry - I'm the other one, who's published six books: Bye Bye Baby: My Tragic Love Affair with the Bay City Rollers; Madonna: Ambition. Music. Style.; Ed Sheeran: Writing Out Loud; Adele: The Other Side; Dua Lipa: The Unauthorized Biography (bit of a dull title, apologies) and the Sunday Times bestseller Taylor: Era by Era.

Hmm. Goodreads apparently thinks that I haven't set up an account, and it's commanding me to do so.

I've been trying to write a little plug recommending the book I'm currently reading, Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, but it keeps saying that I haven't got an account. Sigh.

Reviews

[Michaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do appreciate Dua Lipa but this was just her Wikipedia page in a 230 page book.

[Sean Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brilliant autobiography of Dua Lipa

This is the unofficial autobiography of Dua Lipa as she a newbie to the music world. I became interested in her via her current Radical Optimistic world tour.
I was blown away as this lady proved that if you work hard in a productive manner, your luck will generate itself. Dua developed the laws of attractions and took on board the feed back setbacks of rejections.
I loved this book and it was well written. I can't wait for the update Edition out soon in 2026.
Best wishes Sean

[Manouck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. I didn’t think the narration was very good, felt very “let’s read a Wikipedia page” complete with mid-sentence awkward pauzes. The information on Dua however was entertaining.

[Julie Houdkova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skvela kniha a ma i jednoduchou anglictinu

[Mary Jeneverre · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍🙂👍

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read even for a super fan like me or for those getting introduced

Well put together and well researched. Really did a good job of trying to describe Dua who is someone who not a lot of people take the time to try to know because she isn’t a pop star interested in drama. She is beautiful beyond doubt but with the talent, hardworking attitude, and social skills to push her to stardom. Only the tiniest of mistakes were found by me as a super fan. Thought it got a bit repetitive at times but as someone who loves hearing about Dua’s accomplishments I didn’t mind that much