Rooney said in a statement provided to the Guardian that because Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK in July 2025, fulfilling contracts to publish her work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offence. After consultation, her publisher Faber determined it could no longer supply her works in the UK in any format, with Rooney's full agreement.
"I have made every effort to be honest with the public about my beliefs and intentions, and I am wholly prepared to accept the consequences," Rooney said.
The author had previously stated that she would use proceeds from her UK sales to support Palestine Action. Supporting organisations banned under the Terrorism Act is an offence; the act carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison for providing money or property that may be used for terrorism. Rooney cancelled a trip to the UK to collect an award last year for fear of arrest.
Rooney had also filed a high court statement in support of a legal challenge to the proscription, warning of its impact on freedom of expression. She said her books could disappear from UK stores and the publication of new works could be prevented.
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."
Rooney's novels have been hugely commercially successful in the UK. Normal People has sold more than 1 million copies, while Conversations With Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each sold more than 500,000. The television adaptation of Normal People was the BBC's most-streamed series of 2020. Rooney said she had been advised that any payment to her for those series, both broadcast before the ban, could be a breach of terrorism laws if the producer knew or suspected the funds would go to Palestine Action.