Sally Rooney’s Books Pulled from UK Shelves Amid Terror-Law Controversy

By October 21, an open letter in *The New Statesman* declared “Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist” and urged the government to amend the anti-terror legislation that forced Faber & Faber to stop supplying her titles in the United Kingdom. The publisher announced that, by October 14, 2026, it would no longer provide any of Rooney’s works in the UK because her public pledge to fund the proscribed group Palestine Action could make sales a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act.

The London EconomicProspect MagazineDeadline HollywoodTimes of IsraelPeople's WorldExpress TribunePublic figures sign letter to UK government in support of Sally Rooney Al Jazeera (website)Artists John Akomfrah, Ben Rivers, and Dozens Others Defend Sally Rooney in Open Letter

Palestine Action, a direct-action group formed in 2020, was proscribed by the UK Home Office in July 2025. Supporting a proscribed group carries a maximum prison term of 14 years. The proscription placed Rooney’s publishing contracts in legal jeopardy, prompting Faber to assess the risk of passing UK earnings to her.

The London Economic

• Sales of Rooney’s novels surged 291 % in one week, with Nielsen BookScan reporting 4,531 copies sold after the withdrawal announcement.

The Guardian

• “Normal People” has sold more than one million copies in the UK; “Conversations With Friends” and “Beautiful World, Where Are You” have each exceeded 500,000 copies.

Deadline Hollywood

• The open letter gathered 158 signatories, including actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, writers Zadie Smith and Arundhati Roy, and Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux, Anne Carson and J M Coetzee.

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

The episode highlights a clash between counter-terrorism policy and literary freedom. Faber described the inability to pass royalties as “unconscionable,” raising concerns that publishers may pre-emptively withdraw works to avoid legal exposure. Bookshops in Britain have sold out of existing stock, while Irish outlets report a ten-fold increase in orders from UK readers, illustrating a cross-border “book-smuggling” market. Civil-rights groups warn the case could set a precedent for indirect censorship of artistic expression.

Al Jazeera (website)

• Rooney affirmed the decision was taken “with my full agreement.”

Public figures sign letter to UK government in support of Sally Rooney

• She reiterated her intention to use proceeds from her novels and TV adaptations to support Palestine Action.

Hollywood Reporter

• Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said she will raise the matter with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, describing the situation as a test of free-speech protections.

The Guardian

• Index on Censorship (CEO Jemimah Steinfeld) called the case “a test case” and said the publisher’s caution is “fully understandable.”

The Guardian

• Supreme Court: A hearing on the proscription is scheduled for November 4-5, where the legality of the ban will be examined.

Express Tribune

• Some outlets state Rooney’s books are not formally banned and can still be sold from existing stock, while others frame the withdrawal as de-facto censorship.

Prospect Magazine

• Signatory counts vary between 150, 158 and “hundreds,” reflecting differing reporting thresholds.

People's World

• No public statement from the UK Home Office has been cited, leaving the government’s precise rationale for applying the proscription to publishing contracts unclear.

The London Economic

• “Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist.” — Annie Ernaux

The Guardian

• “I support Palestine Action. If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under U.K. law, so be it.” — Sally Rooney

The Wrap