Reuters —
Irish novelist Sally Rooney’s books will no longer be sold in the UK because of her plans to use royalties to support the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, which is banned as a terrorist organization, Rooney and her publisher announced on Wednesday.
The best-selling author, known for novels such as Ordinary People and Conversations with Friends, has been a vocal supporter of Palestinian action, including after it was banned by the British government under the Terrorism Act last year.
Ms Rooney previously said in a witness statement she submitted to London’s High Court in support of a legal challenge to the Palestinian Action ban that her plans could lead to her books being stopped from being sold in the UK.
Her publisher Faber announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Rooney to “no longer be able to offer her work in any format in the UK” but to sell her work elsewhere.
“Current UK law creates a situation in which Mr Faber is unable to pass on his UK income to Sally Rooney for her work,” Faber said in a statement.
“It is an unscrupulous situation for a publisher to be unable to return the profits after selling an author’s work.”
“I have made every effort to be honest with the public about my beliefs and intentions, and I am fully prepared to accept the consequences,” Rooney said in a statement.
Palestine Action, which had increasingly targeted Israeli-linked defense companies, was banned shortly after it breached the Royal Air Force’s Brize Norton base in June 2025.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Anmoli challenged the ban last year, with the High Court ruling in her favor in February, followed by the Court of Appeal overturning the decision in June. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the appeal next month.
More than 3,000 people have since been arrested for holding placards supporting Palestinian action, and the ban has been criticized by civil liberties groups.
