Full Breakdown
Sally Rooney’s Books Pulled from UK Market Over Palestine Action Proscription
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Publisher Halts UK Sales After Author’s Pledge to Fund Proscribed Group
Irish novelist Sally Rooney and her publisher Faber announced that all of Rooney’s titles will no longer be supplied in the United Kingdom. The decision follows Rooney’s public commitment to donate royalties from UK sales to Palestine Action, a group the UK government proscribed as a “terrorist” organisation in July 2025. Under current UK law, it is illegal to belong to, support or finance a proscribed group, placing Palestine Action on the same blacklist as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Background & Context
Palestine Action was designated a terrorist outfit by a parliamentary vote in July 2025 after supporters carried out criminal-damage campaigns against entities perceived as pro-Israel. The group is not banned in Ireland, where Rooney resides. A Court of Appeal ruling in June confirmed the legality of the ban. Rooney’s pledge, made in an Irish Times interview, created a legal risk for Faber in passing UK royalties to her, prompting the withdrawal.
Data & Statistics
- More than 3,500 people have been arrested in the United Kingdom for alleged support of Palestine Action since the July 2025 proscription.
- An open letter urging the government to reverse the ban was signed by over 150 writers and public figures, including Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux and Anne Carson, actors Paul Mescal and Tilda Swinton, and authors such as Colm Toibin, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Zadie Smith and Julian Barnes.
Official Statements & Responses
Faber said the UK’s anti-terror legislation prevents the publisher from transferring earnings to Rooney, describing the situation as “unconscionable” for a publisher. Rooney warned that fulfilling UK publishing contracts could now constitute a serious criminal offence. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson noted that a social-media post by Sarah Helm, the wife of the national security adviser, was reviewed and did not meet the criminal threshold, so no further police action would be taken. A government spokesperson clarified that Helm’s comments do not represent the government. The Campaign Against Antisemitism called for a police investigation into Helm’s post, labeling it “gobsmacking.”
Criticism & Opposition
An open letter signed by a coalition of authors and artists condemned the ban as “draconian” and an affront to free speech, urging the Labour government to amend the legislation. The letter asserted that Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist, and that the withdrawal of her books amounts to indirect censorship. Rights groups and several public figures have also denounced the proscription as criminalising dissent.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Police officials concluded that Helm’s post did not constitute a criminal offence, while the Campaign Against Antisemitism argued that it warranted investigation. Media commentary has questioned whether the legal risk to Faber is genuine or primarily a public-relations concern, but no definitive legal analysis has been provided. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal from Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori next month, leaving the ultimate status of the proscription unresolved.
What’s Next
The Supreme Court appeal by Palestine Action’s co-founder is expected next month, and the outcome could determine whether the proscription remains in force and whether authors can again receive UK royalties for works sold in Britain.