Sally Rooney's novels are disappearing from the United Kingdom. Her publisher Faber has announced it will no longer supply any of the Irish author's books to the UK market, in any format, after Rooney pledged to channel her British royalties to the proscribed protest group Palestine Action.
The decision, made in full agreement with the 35-year-old author, marks an unprecedented collision between counter-terrorism law and the publishing industry. It is not a ban on the books themselves: existing physical stock already on shop shelves, including at Waterstones stores, can still be sold. But no new copies will be supplied, and e-book editions have already vanished from UK sales platforms.
Why Faber Stopped Supplying the UK
The issue is financial plumbing. Rooney announced in August 2025 that she would use proceeds from her books and television adaptations to support Palestine Action, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025 after a break-in at RAF Brize Norton. Passing UK royalties to her could, in legal terms, amount to an "arrangement" funding a banned group under the Terrorism Act 2000 — a serious criminal offence. Faber's statement put it bluntly: "Current legislation in the UK has led to circumstances where Faber cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work. To sell a writer's work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher."
A legal expert told The Times that the move was no publicity stunt, warning that the publisher could even face "debanking" by cautious financial institutions. Faber will continue selling Rooney's work in other territories, where no such restrictions apply.
The Palestine Action Timeline
- June 2025: Palestine Action activists break into RAF Brize Norton.
- July 2025: The UK government proscribes the group as a terrorist organisation. It is not proscribed in Ireland, where Rooney lives.
- August 2025: Rooney writes in the Irish Times that she will keep supporting the group and "direct action against genocide", adding: "If this makes me a 'supporter of terror' under UK law, so be it."
- February 2026: The High Court rules the proscription unlawful.
- June 2026: The Court of Appeal overturns that ruling, so the ban stands. A Supreme Court appeal is expected in November 2026.
- October 14, 2026: Faber announces the UK supply halt.
Reactions in the Literary World
Civil-liberties groups note that more than 3,000 people have been arrested for holding placards in support of Palestine Action since the ban took effect. Rooney herself cancelled a planned UK trip to collect a literary award over fears of arrest, and she backed the legal challenge against the proscription in a High Court witness statement.
In her own statement on October 14, Rooney said she had been honest with the public about her beliefs and intentions, and that she was "wholly prepared to accept the consequences".
The takeaway: Whatever one thinks of Rooney's politics, the episode shows how far counter-terrorism finance law can reach into ordinary cultural life. With Normal People alone selling more than a million copies in Britain, the UK is about to become a place where its bestselling novelist's new books exist only on secondhand shelves.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Lightless Dawn (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0