Sally Rooney books withdrawn from United Kingdom sale over terrorism laws

Irish novelist Sally Rooney has announced that her books can no longer be supplied or sold in the United Kingdom, Pearls and Irritations reported. Pearls and Irritations, the World Socialist Web Site, and IMDb all report that the decision to pull her books from United Kingdom shelves was made to avoid prosecution related to her support for Palestine Action. The British government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in June 2025, according to Pearls and Irritations. [1][2][5]

The Observer reported that publisher Faber executed the withdrawal of the author's novels. As FTMQ Books reported earlier, Faber stopped supplying Rooney's titles to United Kingdom booksellers in all formats because British legislation prevents the publisher from paying United Kingdom royalties to Rooney due to her support for Palestine Action. Hundreds of authors signed an open letter backing both Rooney and Faber following the decision, as FTMQ Books reported earlier. [4][8]

Rooney was raised in Castlebar, County Mayo, and graduated in English from Trinity College Dublin. She self-identifies as a Marxist and integrates advocacy for Palestinian solidarity into her public stance. In 2021, Rooney endorsed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign against Israel by rejecting a Hebrew translation offer for her work from the publisher Modan. [6]

Pearls and Irritations noted that the move exposes how the proscription of Palestine Action reaches far beyond direct protest activities. The Observer reported that the situation highlights issues within United Kingdom terrorism legislation. [1][4]