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Sally Rooney’s Books Can No Longer Be Sold in the UK

Sally Rooney's books can no longer be sold in the UK due to her support for Palestine Action.

14 Oct 2026 · 3 min read · Updated recently
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Sally Rooney's books can no longer be sold in the UK due to her support for Palestine Action.

The full report

Bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney has announced that her books can no longer be sold in the UK due to the British government's ban on Palestine Action.

In a statement, Rooney said that due to her publicly-stated intention to go on supporting Palestine Action, including with royalties from her work, 'the fulfilment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence'.

Rooney added: '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.'

Faber, Rooney's UK and Ireland publisher, said: '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.'

Ebook editions of Rooney's books have already been removed from sale in the UK, although many book shops still have existing stock of physical copies. Waterstones confirmed to the BBC that Faber had advised there were no restrictions on booksellers keeping their current copies on the shelves.

Rooney has sold more than six million books globally, including 2.3 million in the UK, according to NielsenIQ BookData. Normal People was released in 2018 and turned into a hit TV series two years later, effectively launching the acting careers of Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.


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