Sally Rooney Books Withdrawn From UK Sale Over Palestine Action Support
Sally Rooney's books will no longer be supplied in the United Kingdom.
The Irish novelist, author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends, has agreed with publisher Faber & Faber that UK supply must end. The withdrawal was reported on October 14, 2026, according to the Associated Press.
Faber said in a statement it can no longer supply Rooney's works in the UK in any format. That covers print, ebook and audio editions. It applies to all of her titles with the publisher. The restriction applies to the UK only.
Rooney said fulfilling contracts to publish her work in Britain could now constitute a serious criminal offence. She cited her support for Palestine Action as the reason. She has said she intends to continue that support, as reported by Deadline.
Palestine Action was formed in 2020. The UK proscribed it as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Proscription is a formal ban under terrorism law. It makes membership, support and funding potentially criminal.
The UK ban followed claims that activists entered a Royal Air Force base and damaged two military aircraft. The United States has also designated the group as a terrorist organisation. Rooney has stated the group is not proscribed or otherwise prohibited in the Republic of Ireland.
Rooney set out her position in an opinion piece and in an essay published by The Irish Times in August 2025. The essay was titled 'I support Palestine Action. If this makes me a supporter of terror under UK law, so be it', according to The Irish Times. She later said that essay could not legally be published by a British publication. She also said she could not safely enter the UK without facing arrest.
In November 2025 she said she would be unable to publish books in the UK while the ban remains in force. She also said she intends to use royalties from her work to continue supporting Palestine Action, as reported by the BBC.
For readers in Britain, this means no new supply through normal publishing channels. The agreement stops future fulfilment by Faber. Readers elsewhere are not covered by the UK restriction. The row has built over more than a year of public statements about law, publishing and protest.
