Stories
Sally Rooney Novels to Vanish From UK Shelves Over Palestine Action Stance
- •Sally Rooney’s novels will no longer be supplied in the UK because publisher Faber and Faber cannot legally pay her royalties due to her support for the banned group Palestine Action.
- •Under British terrorism law, making payments to individuals that may fund a proscribed group can be treated as a criminal offence, leading Faber and Rooney to mutually agree on halting UK sales.
- •Existing copies of her books already in UK shops can still be legally sold, and Faber will continue selling her work in other international territories.
- •Rooney has publicly stated her support for Palestine Action and her intention to use her book proceeds to back the group, which was proscribed by the UK government under the Terrorism Act 2000.
- •Her books will remain unavailable for reorder in Britain while the group's terrorist designation is challenged in the Supreme Court.
Key Questions Answered
Sally Rooney's books will no longer be supplied in the UK because her publisher, Faber & Faber, cannot legally pay her royalties. Rooney publicly supports Palestine Action and intends to use her book proceeds to fund the group, which creates a criminal offense under British terrorism law due to potential funding of a banned organization.
The UK government proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 in July 2025, the month following activist vandalism at RAF Brize Norton. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that intelligence showed the group was more than an ordinary protest movement.
Yes, copies of Sally Rooney's novels that are already in UK shops can still be legally sold, as confirmed by retailers like Waterstones. However, stores cannot reorder new stock while the ban and payment restrictions remain in effect.
