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Sally Rooney says she can no longer sell books in UK due to Palestine Action support

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correspondent, H. S. L. a. (2026, October 14). Sally Rooney says she can no longer sell books in UK due to Palestine Action support. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/14/sally-rooney-says-she-can-no-longer-sell-books-in-the-uk-because-of-palestine-action-support

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Guardian · collected 2026-10-14 · by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent

Quick Summary

Sally Rooney, author of bestsellers like "Normal People" and "Conversations With Friends," has withdrawn her books from sale in the UK due to support for Palestine Action, which was designated as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act last year. This decision comes after she publicly stated her intention to use book proceeds to fund Palestine Action, potentially violating UK law if Faber, her publisher, continued to pay her royalties. Rooney's statement emphasizes her commitment to freedom of expression and willingness to face legal consequences for supporting the group.
Written by AI on 2026-10-14, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Sally Rooney, a prominent Irish author known for novels like Normal People, has withdrawn her books from sale in the UK due to support for Palestine Action, which is designated as a terrorist organization under British law. This move came after Rooney announced she would donate her royalties to Palestine Action, leading to concerns that generating revenue could breach anti-terrorism laws carrying up to 14 years in prison.

More than three million copies of Rooney's books have been sold globally, but now they are being withdrawn from UK retailers. The decision has sparked debate and support from other authors, who signed an open letter backing her stance. Hundreds of people have already been arrested for supporting Palestine Action since the group was proscribed last year.

The controversy highlights tensions between national security laws and free expression in the UK, drawing criticism over the potential censorship of leading voices like Rooney.

Written for “Sally Rooney Books Withdrawn UK” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Sally Rooney Books Withdrawn UK
Politics · 14 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans strongly left and hedges 17% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
BBC News
Hedges 3 of 17 claims Outlet record 68/100
The Sydney Morning Herald
⚖️ Leans left further right than this Hedges 0 of 17 claims Outlet record 61/100
NPR
Hedges 1 of 29 claims Outlet record 60/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 2 of 22 claims Outlet record 65/100
Evening Standard
Hedges 2 of 22 claims Outlet record 65/100
ABC News (US)
⚖️ Leans right further right than this Hedges 3 of 39 claims Outlet record 70/100
Daily Mail
Hedges 2 of 17 claims Outlet record 68/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 4 of 32 claims Outlet record 68/100
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 2 of 26 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different events involving distinct individuals and circumstances related to support for Palestine Action, but they do not report on the same specific incident.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
23
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
17%
4 of 23 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
14
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-14 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Guardian · 2749 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent
8 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 After the ban was introduced, Rooney, whose books include Normal People and Conversations with Friends, said that she would use proceeds from her sales to support Palestine Action.
🔮 Phillips said that if the supreme court upheld the court of appeal’s decision when it hears the case on Wednesday and Thursday, it would prevent police from being held accountable for failures in cases of violence against women and girls.
🔮 The Irish novelist, whose books include Normal People and Conversations With Friends, said her public support for the direct action group meant she could no longer receive royalties from UK sales.
🔮 It is a disgrace that not a single government agency will take responsibility for checking on their welfare at slaughter.
🔮 Five defendants are accused by prosecutors of being part of a “black team”, wearing black jumpsuits, whose role was to overwhelm security guards, so that a “red team”, wearing red jumpsuits, could break into the Elbit systems factory in Filton, near Bristol, and smash up equipment including drones.
🔮 Free speech will be a big concern for voters at the next general election, with the government’s current approach on the issue perceived by many to be bad for Britain, polling suggests.
🔮 Phillips wrote: “The deputy judge is to be commended on his willingness to hear a case whilst recovering from injury and his fortitude in doing so in bed, in trying circumstances.
🔮 The 68-year-old will appear at Westminster magistrates court on a date to be fixed accused of indecently assaulting a girl aged 16 or 17 in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in 1991, the Metropolitan police said.
Also by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 8 articles by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent →

Topics

Guardian Irish Palestine Action the Republic of Ireland the Terrorism Act

Subjects

Palestine Action ORG · 8× Faber PERSON · 3× Rooney PERSON · 3× Sally Rooney PERSON · 2× BBC ORG · 1× Guardian ORG · 1× Ireland GPE · 1× Irish NORP · 1× Sally PERSON · 1× the Republic of Ireland GPE · 1×

Narrative

Rooney said last year that she had been advised by the independent producer of the TV dramatisations that any payment to her for those series, both broadcast before the ban, would be a breach of terrorism laws if it knew or suspected that she was using the royalties to fund Palestine Action.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-14
🔮 The Irish novelist, whose books include Normal People and Conversations With Friends, said her public support for the direct action group meant she could no longer receive royalties from UK sales.

Claims (23 extracted, 4 hedged)

Sally Rooney has said she is being forced to withdraw her books from sale in the UK because of her support for the banned organisation Palestine Action. asserted
she → say → organisation
The Irish novelist, whose books include Normal People and Conversations With Friends, said her public support for the direct action group meant she could no longer receive royalties from UK sales. uncertain
she → include → sales
After Palestine Action was banned last year, Rooney said she would use proceeds from her sales to support Palestine Action. asserted
she → ban → Action
Supporting organisations banned under the Terrorism Act is an offence and she subsequently cancelled a trip to the UK to pick up an award, for fear of arrest. asserted
she → support → arrest
In a statement provided to the Guardian, the bestselling author said: “‘In July 2025, the direct-action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. asserted
group → provide → 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. asserted
which → write → Ireland
“As a result, the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence. uncertain
fulfilment → publish → 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. asserted
it → determine → 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.” asserted
I → make → consequences
In a high court statement 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. uncertain
publication → warn → UK
Her books have been critically acclaimed – she has been described as the voice of a generation – and hugely commercially successful in the UK. asserted
she → acclaim → UK
Normal People has sold more than 1m copies, while Conversations With Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each sold more than 500,000. asserted
You → sell → 500,000
Normal People and Conversations With Friends were also adapted by the BBC, with the former racking up 62.7m views and becoming the broadcaster’s most-streamed series of 2020. asserted
former → adapt → 2020
Rooney said last year that she had been advised by the independent producer of the TV dramatisations that any payment to her for those series, both broadcast before the ban, would be a breach of terrorism laws if it knew or suspected that she was using the royalties to fund Palestine Action. asserted
she → say → Action
Section 15 of the Terrorism Act makes it an offence if a person “provides money or other property, and knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism”. uncertain
it → make → terrorism
It carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. asserted
It → carry → prison
Her UK and Ireland publisher, Faber said: “Current legislation in the UK has led to circumstances where Faber cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work. asserted
Faber → say → work
To sell a writer’s work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher. asserted
sell → sell → publisher
“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. asserted
we → take → format
We remain the proud publisher of her remarkable body of work, which we will continue to sell in other territories.” asserted
we → remain → territories
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.” asserted
I → believe → Action
About 2,500 people have been charged, although none have been tried as a legal challenge to the ban is continuing and will be heard by the supreme court next month. asserted
challenge → charge → court
Most arrests and charges have related to section 13 of the Terrorism Act, which carries a maximum jail term of six months. asserted
which → relate → months
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