More than 150 of the world's best-known writers, actors and artists have signed an open letter demanding the UK government amend the anti-terror law that has forced author Sally Rooney's books off British shelves. The letter — published October 21, 2026, on the cover of The New Statesman — calls the situation a "repressive absurdity" and an "affront to basic principles of free speech." The government says the ban on Palestine Action followed a rigorous process and does not touch lawful protest. Here is what both sides are saying.
How the ban reached the bookshop
Rooney, the Irish author of Normal People, publicly pledged in an August 2026 column in the Irish Times to use her book and adaptation proceeds to support Palestine Action, writing: "I support Palestine Action. If this makes me a 'supporter of terror' under U.K. law, so be it." Palestine Action has been proscribed as a terrorist group in the UK since July 2025, and under current counter-terrorism laws, public support or financial assistance to it can be punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment.
Rooney's publisher, Faber & Faber, said UK legislation meant it "cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work" and that it could "no longer supply her works in the UK in any format" — physical books, e-books and future books. "To sell a writer's work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher," Faber said. Rooney has said she is "wholly prepared to accept the consequences."
The open letter: "a writer, not a terrorist"
The October 21 letter carries around 158 signatories, including Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux, Anne Carson and JM Coetzee; actors Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Tilda Swinton, Susan Sarandon and Jessie Buckley; broadcaster Gary Lineker; writers Arundhati Roy, Naomi Klein, Zadie Smith, William Dalrymple, Colm Toibin, Jhumpa Lahiri and Irvine Welsh; filmmaker Jonathan Glazer; philosopher Slavoj Zizek; musician Kate Nash; and the Irish group Kneecap.
It opens: "Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist. Her books must be available to the public," and argues the withdrawal of her books from British shelves "is an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression so long taken for granted in this country." It concludes: "We categorically reject censorship — whether direct or indirect — and urge the government to change course, amending the legislation which has led us to this point of repressive absurdity."
The government's case
The government defends the proscription. The Home Office said Palestine Action "carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who took part in them and promoted the use of violence," and that the ban "does not affect lawful protest in support of the Palestinian cause, which remains a fundamental democratic right." The proscription followed the group's July 2025 break-in at RAF Brize Norton and a raid on an Elbit arms facility in Bristol in which an officer was seriously injured — then–Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said "violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest." At Prime Minister's Questions on October 21, Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined further comment as it is a "live legal case," adding that the proscription "followed a rigorous and evidence-based process... endorsed by Parliament."
Ministers also note the government's position is not anti-Palestinian: the UK formally recognized a Palestinian state last month and banned West Bank settlement goods, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband saying pro-Palestinian campaigners "were right."
What happens next
The legal fight continues: the group's co-founder Huda Ammori is set to appeal the ban at the Supreme Court next month. Whatever the court decides, the letter has turned a counter-terrorism designation into one of the year's sharpest debates over where protest ends and terrorism law begins.
🎬 Watch: 10 News — "'Normal People' Stars Support Sally Rooney In Open Letter" — Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones back Rooney in the open letter over her pulled UK book sales.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Actors, writers condemn UK anti-terror law targeting Sally Rooney (Oct 21, 2026)
- Times of Israel — Why is Sally Rooney's UK publisher halting sales of her books?
- Daily Sabah (AFP) — Authors condemn UK Palestine Action ban after Rooney book pull
- BritBrief — Burnham backs Palestine Action ban process after Rooney halt