Sally Rooney has agreed with her publisher to stop supplying her books in the UK after pledging to keep funding the banned group Palestine Action.
Irish novelist Sally Rooney announced that her books will no longer be distributed to retailers in the United Kingdom. The decision follows her public commitment to continue channeling royalty income to Palestine Action an organization that the UK government listed as a proscribed terrorist group in 2025.
Rooney, whose debut Normal People was published in 2018 and later adapted into a celebrated television series, has sold more than six million copies worldwide, including 2.3 million copies in the UK alone, according to NielsenIQ BookData. Her bibliography also features Conversations With FriendsIntermezzo and Beautiful World, Where Are You.
Literary success meets political conviction
In a statement to the media, Rooney declared that further publication of her works in the United Kingdom could amount to a “serious criminal offence.” She added, “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 author first voiced her intent to keep supporting Palestine Action in an opinion piece published the month after the group’s proscription, noting that the organization remains legal in the Republic of Ireland.
UK law forces a publishing stalemate
British legislation enacted after July 2025 bars any entity from passing earnings derived from the United Kingdom to individuals who support designated terrorist groups. Faber Rooney’s publisher, explained that this creates an “unconscionable situation” in which it can sell a writer’s work without being able to remit the proceeds. Consequently, the house and its author mutually decided to cease supplying the titles within the UK market.
Impact on physical and digital formats
All ebook versions have already been withdrawn from UK online platforms. Physical stock, however, remains on store shelves; Waterstones confirmed that retailers may keep existing copies in their inventory. The publisher reiterated that while UK distribution stops, the catalogue will continue to be sold in other territories where the legislation does not apply.
Wider legal and social ramifications
The proscription of Palestine Action has already led to a substantial crackdown: more than 3,700 individuals are believed to have been arrested on suspicion of supporting the group, with about 2,500 formal charges filed. No trial has yet taken place, as a legal challenge to the proscription is scheduled for the Supreme Court “next month” (relative to the current reporting period).
Co-founder Huda Ammori praised Rooney’s stance, describing it as a “brave and principled stand” and warning that the withdrawal of her books represents “a new low in the escalating assault on free speech caused by the proscription of Palestine Action.”
Rooney’s withdrawal illustrates the tension between artistic expression, personal political commitment, and state security measures. It also raises questions about how publishers navigate the legal landscape when authors choose to support causes deemed illegal by the authorities.
