Pro-Palestinian author loses permission to sell his books in UK

Irish author Sally Rooney can no longer sell books in the UK for supporting Palestine, sparking criticism.

According to Ambassador Arjan's report, quoted by the Guardian, the Irish writer who created "Ordinary People" announced that he is no longer allowed to sell his works in the UK and cannot travel to the UK for fear of arrest.

Sally Rooney has said she has been banned from selling her books in the UK since Wednesday because of her support for the banned UK-based Action for Palestine group.

The Irish novelist, whose books include "Ordinary People" and "Talking With Friends," said last year that he would use the proceeds from the sale of his works to support the Palestinian people and the group after Palestine Action was banned. Supporting banned organizations is an offense under UK terrorism legislation, and he was subsequently forced to cancel a trip to the UK to receive the award.

In a statement provided to the Guardian, the best-selling author wrote: "In July 2025, the protest group Action for Palestine was declared a banned terrorist organization in the UK and the following month I expressed my intention to continue to support Action for Palestine, which is not a banned or proscribed group in the Republic of Ireland. As a result, enforcing my publishing contracts in the UK can now be a serious criminal offence. "After a process of consultation and consideration, and with my full agreement, my publisher, Faber, has decided that it can no longer publish my work in the UK."

While the Supreme Court issued a statement in support of the legal challenge to ban the publication of his books, he warned about the impact this would have on freedom of expression.

At the same time, Rooney's books have been praised by critics and he has been called the voice of a generation, and they have been very successful commercially in the UK. More than a million copies of the books "Ordinary People" have been sold, and "Talking with Friends" and "Beautiful World, Where Are You?" Each has sold more than half a million copies. Meanwhile, "Ordinary People" and "Talking to Friends" were adapted by the BBC, and the former had 62.7 million viewers and became the most watched series of this network in 2020.

Rooney said last year that the independent TV producer also told him that any payment to him for the series (both of which aired before the ban) would be a violation of terrorism laws if he used the royalties to fund Action for Palestine.

Faber, his publisher in Great Britain and Ireland, said that the current laws in Great Britain have led to the situation that Faber cannot transfer the British income for Sally Rooney's works to him, and thus, while mentioning himself as the proud publisher for publishing his remarkable collection of works, he emphasized that: we will continue to sell these books in other countries.

More than 3,700 people are said to have been arrested in Britain since Action for Palestine was banned last summer, most of them for holding placards reading: "I oppose genocide, I support Action for Palestine." has been

Hoda Amouri, one of the founders of the "Action for Palestine" group, which raised this legal challenge against the ban, said: "The fact that Sally Rooney cannot publish her works in the UK shows a further fall in the attack on freedom of expression caused by the ban on "Action Palestine".

He added: Since the plan to ban "Action for Palestine" was announced, Rooney has taken a courageous and principled position and even despite the significant personal and professional cost, he did not stop compromising on his belief. His works should be celebrated and made widely available, not pushed off the shelves of British bookshops because of his refusal to be complicit in the suppression of solidarity with the Palestinian people. No author should have to choose between his principles and the freedom to publish his work.

Kerry Muscogiori, Executive Director of Amnesty International UK, also said: "We should be concerned that the laws put in place to fight terrorism will end up shutting down artistic freedom and the ability to participate in peaceful political opposition."

He added: Authors should not have their books disappear from the shelves because of their political beliefs. People should not have to choose between expressing their conscience and pursuing their livelihood. Sally Rooney's willingness to accept the personal consequences of her beliefs is commendable. There is a real danger that others, seeing the price he paid, will not speak up.

Rooney's books were still being sold in central London on Wednesday afternoon, and Waterstones said bookshops' stock could still be sold, but he wasn't involved in the money.

John Clegg, a bookseller at the London Review Bookstore, said: "As soon as I saw the news, I ordered more and saw that the stock was down to zero. People want these books and we can't get them through Faber.

He added: Kudos to Roni for standing his ground, it seems like a ridiculous law. If this convinces the Home Office to get rid of it faster, I'm all for it.