UK bookstores stop selling Sally Rooney novels over support for banned Palestine group

British booksellers have ceased selling Irish novelist Sally Rooney's books due to her financial support for Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organization in the UK, ABC News reported.

Rooney's British publisher, Faber, announced it would no longer distribute her works in the UK, citing concerns that paying her royalties might violate the terrorism ban. The publisher made this decision with Rooney's agreement.

The UK government outlawed Palestine Action in July 2025, making support for the group a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Rooney has pledged to use proceeds from her books and their television adaptations to support the group.

Rooney is the author of four novels, including "Conversations with Friends" and "Normal People," both adapted for BBC television. She also supports the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which Israel views as an attack on its legitimacy.

The withdrawal of Rooney's books has sparked renewed debate in the UK over terrorism laws and free speech.