From The Archives: Dua Lipa & Guadalupe Nettel on the transcendent power of care in all its forms in Still Born

From the Service95 Book Club archive this month, we’re bringing you Dua’s May 2025 interview with Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel, on her novel Still Born. 

Set in Mexico City, friends Alina and Laura are united in their decision to be childfree, refusing to fall into a trap of the patriarchy. When Alina changes her mind, their friendship doesn’t fracture – it deepens, becoming more vital than ever.  

Alina’s life is upended when she receives a devastating medical diagnosis for her baby daughter. This is a story that doesn’t shy away from the complexities of raising a child with profound disabilities. But it also celebrates the transformative experience of caregiving, including for chosen family like Laura. 

In their conversation, Guadalupe and Dua discuss how giving birth is not the only way to be a mother, “you can also be an adoptive mother; you can also be a stepmother or a mother for a little while. Motherhood is also more like an attitude and not only a title that you get.” 

If you are dealing with any of the issues tackled in the book, please explore this story at your own pace. 

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