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

Faber halts UK distribution

Irish novelist Sally Rooney and her publisher Faber announced on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, that Faber will stop distributing her books in the United Kingdom in any format. Rooney said in a statement provided to The Guardian that she can no longer receive royalties from British sales because of her public support for Palestine Action. Under current British law, Faber cannot pass UK earnings on to her, and the publisher said the decision was reached in full agreement with the author. Rooney's statement put the risk in direct terms, saying that fulfilling contracts to publish her work in the UK could now be a criminal offence.

As a result, the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence.

How the proscription led here

The British government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Rooney wrote an opinion piece the following month saying she intended to keep supporting the group, which she noted is not proscribed in the Republic of Ireland, where she is based. She had earlier said she would direct the proceeds of her sales to the group. The Guardian reported that she cancelled a trip to the UK to collect an award, fearing arrest. In November 2025 she said she was almost certain she could no longer publish or produce new work in the UK while the proscription stays in force, because her UK publishers were unsure they could pay her.

1. 2025-07UK government proscribes Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation
2. 2025-08Rooney writes an opinion piece saying she will keep supporting Palestine Action
3. 2025-11Rooney says she is almost certain she can no longer publish new work in the UK
4. Oct 14, 2026Faber announces it will no longer distribute Rooney's books in the UK

Legal challenge and freedom of expression

Rooney has filed a witness statement with the High Court in support of a legal challenge to the proscription. In it she warned about the effect of the ban on freedom of expression. She said that if the group remained proscribed when her next book was due, the book would be available to readers worldwide but not in the United Kingdom, because no one would be allowed to publish it there. She also warned that her books could disappear from UK stores and that new works could be blocked from UK publication.

Strong UK sales and BBC adaptations

Rooney's books sold strongly in the UK before the ban. Normal People has sold more than one million copies, while Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each sold more than 500,000. The BBC adapted Normal People and Conversations with Friends for television. Normal People was the broadcaster's most-streamed series of 2020, with 62.7 million views. Rooney has described herself as having been warned by the independent producer of those adaptations about the legal risk of any payment for the series, which were both broadcast before the ban.

The author's position

Rooney described herself in her statement as having been open with the public about her beliefs and intentions. She said she was fully prepared to accept the consequences of her position.

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.

The Irish Independent reported that it had contacted Faber and Rooney for comment on the decision.