Popular Irish novelist Sally Rooney has agreed with her publisher to withdraw her books from sale in the United Kingdom, citing legal concerns over her public support for Palestine Action, which was banned as a terrorist organization in July 2025.
Rooney, whose works include Normal People and Conversations With Friends, said her support for the group meant she could no longer receive royalties from UK sales.
"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 said in a statement provided to The Guardian.
"As a result, the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence. 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. 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," she added.
After the group was banned, Rooney said she intended to use proceeds from her book sales to support Palestine Action. She later cancelled a trip to the UK to collect an award, citing fears of arrest.
Under Section 15 of the UK's Terrorism Act, it is an offense to provide money or other property while knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism. The offense carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Faber said the legislation had prevented it from transferring UK earnings to Rooney.
"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 said.
Rooney's books have achieved significant commercial success in the UK. Normal People has sold more than 1 million copies, while Conversations With Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each sold more than 500,000 copies.
Both Normal People and Conversations With Friends were adapted for television by the BBC.
Terrorism-related arrests in the UK have surged by 1,553% to a record high, with the vast majority linked to support for Palestine Action, according to new Home Office figures.
A total of 3,867 arrests were made for terrorism-related activity in the year ending June 2026, up from 234 in the previous 12-month period.
Of these, 3,630 arrests — around 94% — were linked to support for Palestine Action following the group's proscription.
The Labour government, then led by Keir Starmer, banned Palestine Action under terrorism legislation in July 2025, making it the first direct-action group to be banned under the Terrorism Act in British history.
