Irish novelist Sally Rooney’s books will no longer be supplied to retailers in the United Kingdom following her continued support for Palestine Action, which the UK government designated a proscribed terrorist organization in 2025.
Rooney said in a statement to BBC News that publishing contracts for her work in the UK could constitute a “serious criminal offense" because of her stated intention to continue supporting the group with her royalties. She and her publisher, Faber, have agreed to stop supplying her books to UK retailers.
“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,” Rooney said.
Faber confirmed that the decision applies to all formats of her books in the UK. Electronic editions have already been removed from sale, while physical copies remain available in some bookstores.
Waterstones told the BBC that Faber had confirmed booksellers could continue selling copies already in stock.
“Current legislation in the UK has led to circumstances where Faber cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work,” the publisher said in a statement.
“To sell a writer’s work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher,” it added, confirming that Rooney’s books would continue to be sold in other territories.
Rooney said she had expressed her intention to continue supporting Palestine Action in an opinion article published in The Irish Times in August 2025. The group is not proscribed in the Republic of Ireland, where she lives.
The UK government proscribed Palestine Action in July 2025, citing its history of criminal damage. The group has targeted arms companies linked to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Rooney’s decision to continue supporting the group also led her to cancel a planned UK visit to receive an award last year because she feared arrest, according to the BBC.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said Rooney had taken “a brave and principled stand” against the group’s proscription. Ammori described the withdrawal of the author’s books as a setback for freedom of expression.
Rooney has sold more than 6 million copies of her novels worldwide, including 2.3 million in the UK, according to NielsenIQ BookData.
Her novels include “Normal People,” “Conversations With Friends,” “Beautiful World, Where Are You” and “Intermezzo.” “Normal People,” published in 2018, was adapted into a television series in 2020, starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
The withdrawal comes as the UK’s proscription of Palestine Action faces a legal challenge. According to the BBC, more than 3,700 people have been arrested over alleged support for the group, with about 2,500 charged. No cases have gone to trial while the legal challenge proceeds, with a Supreme Court hearing expected next month.