Sally Rooney Pulls Books From UK Shelves Over Palestine Action Terrorist Designation
Irish bestselling author Sally Rooney is pulling her novels from bookstores across the United Kingdom because distributing her work there could constitute a serious criminal offense, The Guardian reported. The decision stems from her financial support of Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian direct-action group that the UK government classified as a terrorist organization in 2025.
Publishing her work in the UK would generate revenue that Rooney uses to fund the group, exposing her and her publishers to legal liability under UK counterterrorism laws. Faber & Faber, her UK publisher, confirmed it will no longer sell her titles in the country because it cannot legally pay royalties to the author from those sales.
UK Counterterrorism Classification Threatens Book Sales
Palestine Action was founded in 2020 with the stated goal of ending what it calls Israeli apartheid. The UK government designated the group as a terrorist organization in 2025 following an intrusion at an Oxfordshire military facility that damaged two aircraft. Approximately 3,700 people have been arrested in the UK for expressing support for the group since the ban took effect.
Rooney defended the organization last year by submitting testimony in a legal challenge against the terror designation. In that filing, she noted that the government’s classification would likely make the sale of her books in the UK legally untenable. She stated in her recent declaration that the prohibition now prevents her UK publishing operations entirely, as continuing to sell the titles would violate criminal statutes regarding the financing of terrorism.
Publishing Impact on Faber & Faber and Future Outlook
Faber & Faber stated that it remains the proud publisher of Rooney’s work and will continue selling her books in Ireland and other territories where distribution remains lawful. However, the publisher cannot legally distribute the books in the UK while forwarding proceeds to the author.
The legal status of Palestine Action remains subject to ongoing judicial review. The UK Supreme Court is set to re-examine the government’s decision to classify the group as a terrorist organization, which could alter the legal restrictions governing support and fundraising for the group.
Rooney’s novels, which examine contemporary millennial life and include titles such as Normal People, Conversations with Friends, and Beautiful World, Where Are You, will remain entirely absent from British bookstores while the terror designation and associated financial restrictions remain in force.
Keep reading