Sally Rooney books will no longer be sold in UK due to her support for Palestine Action

Sally Rooney's publisher Faber has confirmed it will stop supplying her books in the UK, saying it cannot pay the Irish author royalties because of her pledge to support the banned group Palestine Action.

In a statement, Faber said current UK legislation meant it could no longer pass on earnings from UK sales to Rooney.

"To sell a writer's work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher," Faber said. "As such, and in full agreement with Sally, we have taken the decision that we can no longer supply her works in the UK in any format.

"We remain the proud publisher of her remarkable body of work, which we will continue to sell in other territories."

Rooney, whose bestselling novels include Normal People, Conversations with Friends and Intermezzo, said the decision followed her public declaration that she intended to continue supporting Palestine Action. The group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK in July 2025.

In a statement to RTÉ, Rooney said continuing to publish her work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence.

Rooney said Faber had reached its decision "with my full agreement."

"I have made every effort to be honest with the public about my beliefs and intentions, and I am wholly prepared to accept the consequences," she added.

Rooney previously said she intended to use proceeds from her books and television adaptations to support Palestine Action.

Last November, in a witness statement to the High Court in London in support of the legal challenge to proscription, warning against its impact on freedom of expression, Rooney said her books could disappear from UK stores and the publication of new works in the UK could be prevented.

In February, the High Court ruled that the decision to ban Palestine Action was unlawful and disproportionate. However, that ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal in June, which found that the ban was lawful.

An appeal over the ban is due to be heard by the UK Supreme Court on November 4 and 5.

Rooney previously cancelled a trip to Britain to collect a literary award over concerns that she could face arrest because of her support for the group.

More than 3,700 people are believed to have been arrested in the UK for alleged support of Palestine Action since it was banned in July last year, most for holding placards saying: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."