Sally Rooney books cannot be sold in UK amid Palestine Action ban, says publisher

Irish author Sally Rooney can no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for the activist group Palestine Action, her publisher Faber said Wednesday. Rooney has previously expressed her support for the group, which was banned as a "terrorist" organisation by the UK government in July 2025. It is not banned in Ireland, where Rooney lives. "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 said in a statement on its website. "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," the British publisher said, adding that it would continue to sell her work in other countries and regions. The best-selling author of "Normal People" and "Intermezzo" previously said she would donate earnings to Palestine Action, and told the High Court in London that the proscription would have an impact on freedom of expression. "As a result, the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence," Rooney said in a statement shared with AFP. "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," the author said. Sally Rooney speaks onstage during the Hulu Panel in Pasadena, California, on 17 January 2020 (Erik Voake/AFP)