Will Sally Rooney’s books now be removed from shops across the UK?

Has Britain really banned bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney’s books?No, but British antiterrorism legislation means the author and her British publisher, Faber & Faber, have agreed that they are no longer able to distribute her books in that territory.Am I missing something? What have her award-winning novels such as Normal People and Conversations with Friends, both successfully adapted for BBC Television, got to do with terrorism?Nothing. However, in August 2025, Rooney wrote an opinion piece in The Irish Times that was headlined: “I support Palestine Action. If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it.”Palestine Action is a pro-Palestinian direct action group that was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the British government in July 2025. After the group was banned, Rooney, who lives in Co Mayo, said she would use proceeds from her sales to support Palestine Action. Supporting organisations banned under the UK’s Terrorism Act is an offence there and she subsequently cancelled a trip to the UK to pick up an award.So is Palestine Action really a terrorist organisation?In Rooney’s own words: “Since its foundation in 2020, Palestine Action has primarily organised direct-action protests against weapons manufacturers: defacing buildings, breaking windows and occupying factories. [A]s the UK continued to offer material and diplomatic support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, activists broke into an RAF airbase and used spray-paint to vandalise two aircraft. The [UK] government responded by proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, placing the group on the same legal footing as al-Qaeda and Islamic State.”READ MOREWhat about other proscribed organisations?Rooney has highlighted that no one was arrested when an Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) mural was recently restored in Belfast, even though the UVF is a proscribed terrorist organisation responsible for the murders of hundreds of civilians. “Palestine Action, proscribed under the same law, is responsible for zero deaths and has never advocated the use of violence against any human being. Why then are its supporters arrested for wearing T-shirts, while murals celebrating loyalist death squads are left untouched?”Will we see dramatic photographs of Rooney’s novels, including Beautiful World, Where Are You and Intermezzo, being removed from bookshelves in shops across Britain? No. Faber confirmed that copies of her books currently on sale in the UK market do not need to be returned and will remain on sale.What about the likes of Amazon? The same applies. While stocks last, Rooney’s books will still be available to purchase from online sellers.Will Irish booksellers benefit? Potentially. Once copies of the author’s books currently on sale have been sold, customers will have to shop elsewhere. Irish retailers with a strong online presence such as Kenny’s and Eason could plug the gap. However, post-Brexit customs charges will complicate the picture.Why Sally Rooney's books will no longer be sold in the UKBooks editor Martin Doyle explains