Sally Rooney's books pulled from UK supply after publisher cites terrorism law over Palestine Action support

Sally Rooney's books have been withdrawn from supply to UK retailers — not because of what she wrote, but because of what she said she would do with the money. Her publisher, Faber, announced that it can no longer distribute her works in any format in the United Kingdom after concluding that paying her UK royalties would violate British anti-terrorism law. The reason: Rooney had publicly pledged to funnel proceeds from her books and their TV adaptations to Palestine Action, a direct-action protest group the UK government banned as a terrorist organization in July 2025.

The legal trigger is Section 15 of the Terrorism Act, which makes it a criminal offence — carrying up to 14 years in prison — to provide money or property if a person 'knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism.' By putting her intentions in writing, Rooney left Faber with no viable path forward: continuing to sell her books and remit her earnings risked exposing the publisher to criminal prosecution.

Current legislation in the UK has led to circumstances where Faber cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work. To sell a writer's work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher.— Faber, publisher statement

Rooney, 35, is the author of four novels — 'Conversations with Friends,' 'Normal People,' 'Beautiful World, Where Are You,' and 'Intermezzo' — that have sold millions of copies in the UK alone. In Britain, Normal People has surpassed one million copies sold, while Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each moved more than 500,000. The BBC adapted both Normal People and Conversations with Friends for television; Normal People drew 62.7 million views, making it the broadcaster's most-streamed series of 2020, according to The Guardian.

In July 2025, the direct-action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. The following month, I wrote an opinion piece expressing my intention to go on supporting Palestine Action, which is not a proscribed or otherwise prohibited group here in the Republic of Ireland. As a result, the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence. After a process of consultation and deliberation, and with my full agreement, my publisher Faber has therefore determined that it can no longer supply my work within the UK. I have made every effort to be honest with the public about my beliefs and intentions, and I am wholly prepared to accept the consequences.— Sally Rooney, author statement

The sequence of events that led here began in August 2025, when Rooney published an opinion piece in The Irish Times. In it, she wrote: "I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can," according to CBS News. She subsequently cancelled a planned trip to the UK to collect an award, citing fear of arrest. She had also been advised, according to The Guardian, that payments owed to her for the BBC television dramatisations — both broadcast before the ban — could themselves constitute a breach of terrorism law if the producers knew or suspected she would use the money to fund Palestine Action.

Faber said it will continue to sell Rooney's books in other territories. Ebook editions have been removed from UK sale, according to the Financial Times, though existing physical stock at booksellers can still be sold until it runs out. The Booksellers Association confirmed that retailers may sell through their current inventory. Some stores moved quickly to reorder before supply dried up entirely.

I ordered more as soon as I saw the news. I saw the number go down to zero, so I hope they go through. People are going to want them and we're not going to be able to get them through Faber.— John Clegg, bookseller at London Review Bookshop

We were thinking, we'll just get a whole bunch before we stop being able to. Because she's a hugely popular seller here, and quite evergreen. But now it seems like what we have is all we're going to have.— Lucy Burke, bookseller at Camden Town Bookshop

Palestine Action was founded in 2020 and describes itself as a movement targeting companies it accuses of supplying weapons to Israel. While the group maintains that it does not advocate violence against people, its record includes storming a factory belonging to Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK — an incident in which a police officer's spine was fractured after he was struck with a sledgehammer — and, in June 2025, an incursion at RAF Brize Norton, where activists forced red paint into the engines of two tanker planes and used crowbars to cause additional damage. The British government designated the group a terrorist organization in July 2025, citing its history of criminal damage and escalating attacks on defense infrastructure. In the government's words, Palestine Action has "carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who took part in them and promoted the use of violence."

The ban has generated a wave of arrests on a scale unusual for terrorism legislation. According to The Guardian, more than 3,700 people are believed to have been arrested in the UK for alleged support of Palestine Action since July 2025, the majority for displaying placards reading 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.' Roughly 2,500 have been charged, though no trials have yet taken place as a legal challenge to the ban continues. According to CBS News, the Home Office reports that the average age of those arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action is 59, against an average of 28 for other terrorism-related arrests.

The legal status of the ban itself remains contested. The High Court ruled in February that classifying Palestine Action as a terrorist group was disproportionate and unlawful. In June, the Court of Appeal reversed that decision, concluding that the ban was "justified and proportionate." The group's lawyers are set to petition the UK Supreme Court next month to quash the proscription.

Whatever one's views on Palestine Action, we should all be concerned when laws intended to combat terrorism end up silencing artistic freedom and the ability to engage in peaceful political dissent. Writers should not find their books disappearing from shelves because of their political beliefs. Nor should people have to choose between expressing their conscience and pursuing their livelihoods.— Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK

Sally Rooney is finding out that she can't have her cake and eat it.— Spokesperson, Campaign Against Antisemitism

According to CBS News, the Campaign Against Antisemitism reported Rooney to counterterrorism police over her pledge to provide financial support to Palestine Action. The Home Office, for its part, said the proscription "does not affect lawful protest in support of the Palestinian cause, which remains a fundamental democratic right." The UK government, now led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he replaced Keir Starmer in July, has not lifted the ban, though it formally recognized a Palestinian state last month and banned goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

What happens next hinges largely on the Supreme Court. If the justices quash the proscription, the legal basis for withholding Rooney's royalties would dissolve. If they uphold it, the situation facing Rooney — and any other public figure who has declared support for Palestine Action — remains unchanged. In the meantime, her books are disappearing from UK shelves one copy at a time.

Why it matters — The case tests whether anti-terrorism laws designed for violent groups can lawfully silence a bestselling novelist — and the Supreme Court's ruling next month could determine the answer for everyone who has publicly backed Palestine Action.

Reported by thehill.com, variety.com, abcnews.com, cbsnews.com, reuters.com, ft.com, theguardian.com