Irish author Sally Rooney’s books will no longer be supplied to UK booksellers after her publisher, Faber, announced that British anti-terrorism legislation has made it impossible to pay her royalties.

In August 2025, Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People, Conversations with Friends and Intermezzo, publicly pledged to donate earnings from her books and television adaptations to Palestine Action, a direct-action protest group that had been designated a terrorist organisation by the UK government the previous month. The group is not banned in Rooney’s home country of Ireland.

The issue is that under UK law, providing financial support to a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence. Because Rooney has publicly stated her intention to use her earnings to support Palestine Action, Faber says that paying her royalties from UK book sales could expose those involved to criminal prosecution. This has left the publisher in a position where it cannot pass on her UK earnings, while continuing to sell her books would mean profiting from an author’s work without paying her. Faber has described that prospect as “unconscionable”.

Importantly, Rooney’s books have not been banned by the UK government, nor has Faber dropped her as an author. The decision to stop supplying her books was made jointly by Rooney and her publisher, with Faber reaffirming its support for her work and confirming that it will continue selling her books internationally. Existing copies already held by UK booksellers are not subject to the publisher’s decision to cease supply.

The situation is further complicated by an ongoing legal challenge to Palestine Action’s designation. In February 2026, the High Court ruled that the government’s decision to proscribe the group was unlawful, although the organisation remains banned while legal proceedings continue.

The announcement has prompted a wider discussion about freedom of expression and the implications of legislation that can prevent an author’s work from being distributed, even when neither the author nor their publisher wants that outcome. Index on Censorship CEO Jemimah Steinfeld has criticised the situation, arguing that the legislation is now affecting not only the freedom to protest but also the freedom to read.

“In July 2025, the direct-action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. The following month, I wrote an opinion piece expressing my intention to go on supporting Palestine Action, which is not a proscribed or otherwise prohibited group here in the Republic of Ireland.

“As a result, the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence. After a process of consultation and deliberation, and with my full agreement, my publisher Faber has therefore determined that it can no longer supply my work within the UK.

“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.” Rooney told The Bookseller