Sally Rooney Withdraws Her Books From UK Over Her Support of Palestine Action

Publisher explains the withdrawal

Faber announced on Wednesday that Rooney’s work was being withdrawn from sale in the UK. The publisher said it could not transfer UK earnings from her work to the author, calling that an unconscionable position for a publisher.

The removal applies to ebook editions, while some physical copies are still being sold in shops. Rooney told BBC News that publishing her work further could amount to a serious criminal offence.

Rooney stands by her position

Rooney said she had tried to be honest with the public about her views and intentions. She said she was prepared to accept the consequences. She has said she would direct earnings from her novels and their adaptations to Palestine Action. After the group was outlawed, she wrote in the Irish Times that she would continue supporting it, even if UK law classified her as a supporter of terror.

UK ban and public response

The UK government outlawed Palestine Action in July 2025. The article says the decision followed activists entering a Royal Air Force base and spraying red paint on two aircraft during a protest against Britain’s military support for Israel’s war on Gaza. Membership or support for the group in the UK can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Rooney was unable to travel to the UK for an award in September 2025 because she feared arrest. MP Jeremy Corbyn called the situation absurd, while Labour MP John McDonnell said he did not want people in the UK to miss Rooney’s writing.

Novels reach a global audience

Rooney’s novels include Normal People and Conversations With Friends, both of which have sold millions of copies worldwide. The BBC adapted each book for television. Corbyn said in a statement on X that people in the UK were unable to buy and enjoy the work of a major writer of her generation.