Publisher Faber halts distribution of Sally Rooney books across United Kingdom

Publisher Faber has stopped supplying books by author Sally Rooney to United Kingdom booksellers in every format, as reported by cristinaiglesias.com, BBC News, and The Bookseller. Rooney told the BBC and The Guardian that further publication of her work in the UK could constitute a serious criminal offence. The decision follows Rooney's public support for the direct action group Palestine Action. [1][2][4][5][6][8]

The distribution halt impacts all new warehouse deliveries and puts future print releases into question, according to cristinaiglesias.com. The release date for the paperback edition of her novel Intermezzo has been frozen as a result. British anti-terror legislation prevents Faber from transferring earnings from book sales directly to the Dublin-based author, cristinaiglesias.com and The Guardian reported. [1][5]

Rooney stated last year that she intended to use her royalties to financially support Palestine Action, BBC News reported. Palestine Action is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000, as FTMQ Books reported earlier. Due to the legal risks and fear of potential arrest, Rooney also cancelled a planned trip to the UK, according to The Guardian. [4][5][9]

Rooney is the Irish author of novels including Normal People, Conversations With Friends, and Intermezzo, according to BBC News. The legal impasse leaves the pipeline for mass-market editions of her titles completely frozen across the UK, cristinaiglesias.com reported. [1][4]