In brief
Sally Rooney has agreed with her publisher to stop selling her books in the UK because she pledged to donate royalties to Palestine Action, seized as a terrorist group by the UK government in 2025. The author, who has sold over six million copies worldwide and sold 2.3 million in the UK, explained that continuing publication could become a serious criminal offence. Bookstores such as Waterstones can keep existing stock, but new sales and e‑book downloads have been halted. The decision follows a 2024 Irish Times piece where Rooney vowed to fund the group, prompting UK authorities to arrest thousands of supporters and sparking a debate over free speech.
Author Sally Rooney has decided to stop selling her books in the UK after she publicly backed the group Palestine Action, which the UK government has banned as a terrorist organisation.
Rooney told BBC News that publishing her works could now be a “serious criminal offence” and that she and her publisher Faber had agreed to pull her titles from UK shelves, although some warehouses still hold copies.
She has sold over six million copies worldwide, with 2.3 million in the UK. The UK proscribed Palestine Action in 2025, citing a “long history” of criminal damage.
Bookstores such as Waterstones say retailers can keep existing stock, but new sales and e‑book downloads have been stopped.
Rooney’s decision follows a 2024 article in the Irish Times where she pledged to use her royalties to support Palestine Action. The move has led to more than 3,700 arrests across the UK.
The case has sparked a debate about free speech and the limits of political protest, with court challenges to the proscription still pending.
