Faber Stops Supplying Sally Rooney Books to UK Retailers Over Palestine Action Support

Publisher Faber & Faber said on 14 October that it will no longer supply any format of Sally Rooney’s books to retailers in the United Kingdom. The decision, made with Rooney’s full agreement, follows her public pledge to donate UK royalties to Palestine Action, a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025.

Rooney stated that continued UK publication could constitute a serious criminal offence under current legislation. Faber said it cannot pass on UK earnings to her, describing the situation as unconscionable for a publisher. Existing stock already in shops may still be sold, but no new copies will be supplied. Ebook editions were removed from major platforms shortly after the announcement.

Rooney’s four novels, including Normal People and Conversations with Friends, have sold more than six million copies worldwide. Normal People alone has sold more than one million copies in the UK. Both Normal People and Conversations with Friends were adapted for television by the BBC. Intermezzo, her most recent novel, is also affected.

Palestine Action was banned after a series of direct actions that included a June 2025 break-in at RAF Brize Norton in which aircraft were damaged. The Home Office cited the group’s history of criminal damage against defence-related targets. Supporting a proscribed organisation can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years. The Court of Appeal upheld the ban earlier in 2026.

Rooney has said she intends to continue using her platform and any available proceeds to support the group. She submitted a witness statement in a legal challenge to the proscription. Faber will continue to publish and sell her work in other territories. Waterstones confirmed that existing stock remains available but that resupply has stopped.

The withdrawal removes one of the best-selling contemporary fiction catalogues from the UK market. Booksellers can sell remaining copies until stocks are exhausted, but the long-term availability of new editions is ended for British readers. The case illustrates the practical effect of the 2025 proscription on royalty flows and publishing contracts when an author directs proceeds to a banned organisation.