Irish novelist Sally Rooney has announced that her works will no longer be supplied to booksellers in the United Kingdom, citing legal concerns arising from her stated support for Palestine Action, a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Britain.
Rooney, whose debut novel Normal People has sold more than six million copies worldwide including 2.3 million in the UK according to NielsenIQ BookData, said in a statement that continuing to publish her work in Britain could expose her publisher to serious criminal liability. She confirmed she had reached agreement with her publisher Faber to cease supplying her books throughout the UK in all formats.
"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,"Rooney said.
The withdrawal marks an extraordinary step for one of contemporary literature's most commercially successful authors. Ebook versions have already been removed from UK retailers, though physical copies remain in some bookshops as existing stock is sold through.
Why has the UK proscribed Palestine Action?
The UK government designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in 2025, citing what officials described as a "long history" of criminal damage. The group has conducted direct-action protests targeting companies with links to Israel's military operations in Gaza, including a June 2025 break-in at RAF Brize Norton where activists vandalised military aircraft.
Supporting a proscribed organisation in the UK is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. This legal framework created the circumstances that have now forced the withdrawal of Rooney's books from the British market.
What is Rooney's position on Palestine Action?
In August 2025, Rooney published an opinion piece in the Irish Times declaring her intention to continue directing royalties from her work toward Palestine Action, despite the group's proscription status in the UK. She emphasised that Palestine Action remains neither proscribed nor prohibited in the Republic of Ireland, where she is based.
The novelist's public commitment to supporting the organisation prompted her to cancel a September 2025 trip to London, where she was scheduled to accept the Sky Arts Award for literature, citing concerns that entering the UK could result in her arrest.
"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,"Rooney explained in her latest statement.
How does this affect her publisher?
Faber, Rooney's publisher, faces an untenable legal position under current UK legislation. The company cannot legally pass UK earnings from Rooney's work to her while she has publicly committed to supporting a proscribed organisation, as doing so could constitute financial support for a terrorist group.
In a statement, Faber described the situation as unconscionable:
"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."
The publisher added:
"As such, and in full agreement with Sally, we have taken the decision that we can no longer supply her works in the UK in any format. We remain the proud publisher of her remarkable body of work, which we will continue to sell in other territories."
Rooney's four novels—Normal People, Conversations With Friends, Beautiful World, Where Are You, and her most recent work Intermezzo—will be removed from sale throughout the UK. The 2018 release Normal People was adapted into a television series that launched the careers of actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
What legal challenges are underway?
The proscription of Palestine Action has faced sustained legal challenge. A High Court ruling initially found the ban unlawful, but the UK Court of Appeal overturned that decision in June, ruling that the proscription was lawful.
More than 3,700 people have been arrested in the UK on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action. Approximately 2,500 have been charged, though none have proceeded to trial as a legal challenge to the proscription order continues through the courts.
Rooney herself warned in a witness statement submitted to the High Court in November 2025 that her books could disappear from UK shelves and that she might be unable to publish new work in the country if the proscription remained in force.
What happens next?
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal against the proscription next month, with Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori leading the legal challenge. The outcome of that hearing could significantly alter the legal landscape surrounding support for the organisation and potentially affect the circumstances that have forced Rooney's books from UK sale.
