Sally Rooney's UK publishing halted after endorsing proscribed Palestine Action

Sally Rooney, the bestselling Irish novelist, said she would use proceeds from her books to support Palestine Action, a group the British government proscribed as a terrorist organization in July 2025. Because UK anti-terrorism legislation bars the payment of earnings to individuals who support such groups, her publisher Faber & Faber concluded it could no longer distribute her works in the United Kingdom. Rooney, residing in Co Mayo, withdrew from a scheduled UK award ceremony out of fear of arrest.

In statements released on Wednesday, Rooney affirmed her willingness to accept any legal consequences, while the publisher described the situation as untenable, noting it would continue selling her books elsewhere. Her earlier op-ed in one outlet declared her support despite the ban, and she warned that future UK releases could be blocked. The decision affects titles that have sold over a million copies of "Normal People" and half-million copies of her other novels in the UK.