Irish Author Says Support for Palestine Bars Sale of Books in Britain

The Irish author of the novel “Normal People” says royalties from book sales in Britain can no longer be collected, and fearing arrest, a planned trip to the country has been canceled.

The Irish author of "Ordinary People" says he can no longer collect royalties from sales of his books in the UK and has canceled a trip to the country for fear of arrest.

Ambassador Arjan: Sally Rooney has announced that she has to withdraw her books from the British market due to her support for the banned group "Palestine Action". This Irish novelist, who has works such as "Ordinary People" and "Conversations with Friends" in his portfolio, has said that his public support for this active group in the field of direct protest action has made him unable to receive royalties from the sale of his books in the UK.

After Palestine Action was banned last year, Rooney said he would donate the proceeds from the sale of his work to financially support the group. It is a crime to provide financial support to organizations prohibited under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Rooney also subsequently canceled a trip to the UK to receive an award, fearing arrest.

In a statement provided to The Guardian, the best-selling author announced: "In July 2025, the direct action protest group Palestine Action was declared a banned terrorist organization in the United Kingdom. The following month, I published a statement in which I expressed my intention to continue supporting Palestine Action; A group that is neither listed nor otherwise banned in the Republic of Ireland. As a result, enforcing my UK publishing contracts may now be a serious criminal offence. After consultation and with my full agreement, my publisher, Faber, has decided that it will no longer be possible to release my work in the UK. "I have done my best to be honest with people about my beliefs and intentions, and I am fully prepared to accept the consequences of these positions."

In a statement in support of a legal challenge to the group's ban in the UK High Court, Rooney warned of the implications of the decision for freedom of expression. In that statement, he said that banning "Palestine Action" may cause his books to disappear from British stores and prevent his new works from being published in this country.

Rooney's works have received critical acclaim and he has been called the voice of a generation. His books have also been commercially successful in the UK. The novel "Ordinary People" has sold more than one million copies and two books "Talking with Friends" and "Beautiful World, Where Are You?" They have sold more than 500,000 copies each. The BBC has adapted the novels "Ordinary People" and "Talking with Friends" into television series. The series "Ordinary People" was viewed a total of 62.7 million times and became the most watched series of this network in online streaming services in 2020.

Rooney said last year that the independent producer of the TV adaptations of his work had warned him that paying him any money for the series, both of which aired before the band was banned, would be a violation of anti-terrorism laws if the producer knew or had reasonable grounds to suspect that Rooney was using his royalties to finance Palestine Action. According to Article 15 of the UK Anti-Terrorism Act, any person who "places money or other property at the disposal of a person and knows or has reasonable grounds to suspect that these resources may be used for terrorist purposes", is guilty of an offence. The maximum punishment for this crime is 14 years in prison.

Faber Publications, the publisher of Rooney's works in Great Britain and Ireland, announced: "The current laws in the UK have created a situation where Faber cannot transfer the income from Sally Rooney's works in this country to him. Selling the works of an author without being able to pay the resulting income to the author is an unacceptable situation for a publisher. Therefore, with Sally's full consent, we have decided not to release any more of his work in the UK in any form. We are still proud to be the publisher of his outstanding works and will continue to sell these works in other countries."

Since Palestine Action was banned in July last year, more than 3,700 people are believed to have been arrested in the UK for supporting the group. Most of these people have been arrested for holding placards that read: "I oppose genocide and support Palestine Action." About 2,500 people have also been accused, but so far no trial has been conducted in this regard; Because the legal challenge to the ban of this group is still going on and it is going to be reviewed in the British Supreme Court next month. Most of the arrests and charges have been made based on Article 13 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison.

Heda Amouri, one of the founders of "Palestine Action", which is pursuing the legal protest against the ban of this group, said: "The inability of Sally Rooney to publish her works in the UK is a new low point in the intensification of the attack on freedom of expression; An attack fueled by the Palestine Action ban: “He has taken a courageous and principled stand since the plans to ban Palestine Action were announced. Rooney has refused to back down from his beliefs, even though this decision has cost him both personally and professionally. His works should be celebrated and made widely available, not thrown off the shelves of British bookshops because of his refusal to go along with the crackdown on solidarity with the Palestinian people. "No writer should be forced to choose between his principles and the freedom to publish his works."

Kerry Muscogiori, Amnesty International UK's chief executive, also said: "Regardless of one's views on Palestine Action, we should all be concerned when laws put in place to fight terrorism actually end up silencing artistic freedom and preventing the peaceful expression of political dissent. Authors should not see their books disappear from the shelves because of their political beliefs. Also, no one should be forced to choose between expressing their conscientious beliefs and making a living. 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 has paid, will conclude that they cannot afford such a price and stop expressing their views."

On Wednesday afternoon, Rooney's books were still being sold in central London stores. The Waterstones store chain also announced that the sale of in-stock versions is still possible.

Gian Carlo, bookseller at Henry Ford's Books, confirmed the same, adding: "In this case, no money is going to Sally Rooney. We sell books of various types and their sales have nothing to do with the author. "I can't say that I disagree with him."

John Clegg, bookseller at the London Review Bookshop, said: "As soon as I saw the news, I ordered more copies. I saw that the stock count has reached zero, so I hope the orders have been placed. People will want these books, but we can no longer get them through Faber. Kudos to him for standing his ground. This law seems ridiculous. If this incident causes the Ministry of Interior to act to cancel this law faster, I fully support such an action."