Irish author Sally Rooney’s novels will no longer be sold in the United Kingdom, her publisher Faber announced this week, citing legal restrictions that prevent the company from transferring earnings to the writer. Rooney had pledged to donate revenues from her British sales to Palestinian Action, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.K. government last year. Under the Terrorism Act 2000, providing financial assistance to such a group carries potential prison sentences of up to 14 years.
The decision marks the culmination of a legal and political standoff that began when Rooney, author of Normal People, announced her intention to support the activist group. Faber stated that selling a writer’s work without being able to pass on earnings was "an unconscionable situation." Rooney confirmed she was "wholly prepared to accept the consequences" of her stance, which she articulated in a 2025 opinion piece in The Irish Times.
What the Right Is Saying
The British government justified the terrorist designation of Palestinian Action by citing "serious damage to property" and an increase in the frequency and severity of the group’s activities since the start of 2024. Officials stated that the group’s methods have become more aggressive, with members demonstrating a "willingness to use violence." The government assessed that the organization’s activities meet the threshold of being "concerned in terrorism" as defined by the Terrorism Act 2000.
Political figures, including former President Donald Trump, have echoed this hardline stance. After activists vandalized one of his Scottish golf courses with the slogan "Gaza is not 4 sale," Trump labeled the perpetrators "terrorists." The U.S. Department of the Treasury followed suit in August 2026, sanctioning Palestinian Action and describing the group as "far-left terrorists," aligning with the U.K.’s security assessment.
What the Left Is Saying
Critics of the U.K. government’s designation of Palestinian Action argue that the move infringes on fundamental rights. U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk described the ban as "appears disproportionate and unnecessary," noting that it limits the rights of people exercising freedom of expression and peaceful assembly who have not engaged in criminal activity. Amnesty International UK has similarly criticized the government’s definition of terrorism as "deeply flawed and overly broad."
Rooney has defended her support for the group, stating in her 2025 op-ed: "if this makes me a 'supporter of terror' under UK law, so be it." She has maintained that her actions are a direct response to what she describes as genocide in Gaza, a term Israel denies. The author noted that she has ceased traveling to the U.K. for events due to the risk of arrest, highlighting the personal cost of the legal framework.
What the Numbers Show
The legal battle over Palestinian Action’s designation has generated significant judicial activity. The U.K. High Court ruled against the ban in February 2026, but this decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal. The case is scheduled to be heard by Britain’s highest court next month. Since the ban was enacted, several thousand people in the U.K. have been arrested for supporting the group, primarily for carrying placards or wearing T-shirts.
The designation itself was unprecedented as the first time a terrorist label was applied to an organization that does not call for violence against people. Palestinian Action’s website states its goal is to target "corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex" using "disruptive tactics." Notable actions by the group include breaking into Britain’s largest air force base and spray-painting two aircraft red, as well as the vandalism of Trump’s golf course in Scotland.
The Bottom Line
The withdrawal of Rooney’s books from the U.K. market illustrates the practical economic and cultural consequences of the state’s counter-terrorism legislation. For readers, this means best-selling works by a prominent contemporary author will be unavailable in their primary English-language market. For the publishing industry, it raises questions about how legal restrictions on financial transfers to designated groups affect commercial relationships with authors.
The resolution of this issue largely depends on the upcoming hearing at Britain’s highest court. If the court upholds the designation, similar restrictions may persist for other authors or entities supporting the group. If the ban is overturned, publishers may resume sales, though the reputational and political implications of the past year’s standoff will remain part of the public record.