Sally Rooney withdraws her books from UK sale over Palestine Action support

Books Withdrawn

Irish novelist Sally Rooney and her publisher Faber have stopped supplying her books to the UK because she supports Palestine Action, a group the British government has outlawed as a terrorist organisation. Faber stated that current legislation prevents the company from passing on UK earnings to Rooney, making it impossible to continue selling her work there. Rooney agreed fully with the decision, noting that further publication could constitute a serious criminal offence and that she is prepared to accept the consequences.

Global Sales and Background

Rooney has sold more than six million books globally, including 2.3 million in the UK according to NielsenIQ BookData. Her four novels are Conversations with Friends, Normal People, Beautiful World, Where Are You, and Intermezzo, with television adaptations created for both Conversations with Friends and Normal People. The UK government proscribed Palestine Action in 2025 following a break-in at a Royal Air Force base by activists protesting British military support for Israel's military offensive in Gaza. The ban carries penalties of up to 14 years in prison for membership or support. Rooney wrote in The Irish Times in August 2025 that she would use her novel and TV proceeds to support the group, and lawyers for Palestine Action will ask the UK Supreme Court next month to overturn the ban.

Context

Publishing contracts require companies to pay royalties to authors for every book sold, which created a legal deadlock when UK law criminalised passing money to a declared supporter of a proscribed group. The ongoing UK Supreme Court challenge represents a critical test case regarding where the boundaries lie between national security laws and protected civil liberties like free speech and public protest.