Sally Rooney’s books are to be withdrawn from UK booksellers after the Irish author and her publisher, Faber, agreed to halt supplies over her support for Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organisation in Britain.
Rooney, whose bestselling novels include Normal People and Conversations with Friends, had said she intended to use proceeds from her work to support the group. Both books have been adapted for television.
Faber said current UK legislation meant it could not pass earnings from Rooney’s work to the author, creating what it described as an “unconscionable situation for a publisher”.
In an article published in The Irish Times in August 2025, Rooney wrote: “I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can.”
Why Palestine Action is banned
Palestine Action was founded in 2020 and has targeted arms manufacturers and other companies it accuses of supplying weapons to Israel, using protests and acts of sabotage.
The group describes itself as a “movement committed to ending global complicity with Israel’s genocidal apartheid regime.” The British Government designated it a terrorist organisation in July 2025, citing criminal damage and escalating attacks on defence infrastructure.
The decision followed the group’s claim that it had broken into RAF Brize Norton and damaged aircraft. Police were cited as estimating the cost of the damage at about 9.4 million dollars, although authorities have not publicly confirmed that figure.
Under UK law, membership of a designated terrorist group or publicly supporting one is a criminal offence. Rooney’s stated intention to provide financial support could therefore expose her and her publisher to prosecution.
The ban has prompted protests and thousands of arrests across the UK. Home Office figures cited in the material show that the average age of people arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action is 59, compared with 28 for other terrorism-related arrests.
The legality of the ban is being challenged in the Supreme Court. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it had reported Rooney to counter-terrorism police over her pledge to financially support Palestine Action.
