London: Irish author Sally Rooney's books will no longer be available for sale in Britain following an agreement with her publisher, Faber, over legal restrictions linked to her support for the proscribed organisation Palestine Action.

The decision was announced on Wednesday, October 14, after the publisher said it could no longer transfer earnings from UK book sales to Rooney under existing legislation.

Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People, Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You, has publicly supported Palestine Action and previously expressed her intention to use royalties from her work to support the organisation.

Palestine Action was banned by the British government under terrorism legislation in 2025 following a series of protests and direct action campaigns targeting defence companies associated with Israel.

In a statement, Faber confirmed that it had reached an agreement with Rooney to stop supplying her books in the UK across all formats. However, the publisher said her works would remain available in other international markets.

Faber explained that the legal restrictions had created a situation in which it could continue selling Rooney's books in Britain but could not pass the resulting earnings to the author.

The publisher described the inability to compensate a writer for sales of their work as unacceptable, prompting the decision to withdraw her books from the British market.

Rooney had previously warned that such an outcome was possible in a witness statement submitted to London's High Court during legal proceedings challenging the ban on Palestine Action.

Responding to the development, the novelist said she had been transparent about her political beliefs and intentions and was prepared to accept the consequences of her position.

The decision comes amid an ongoing legal dispute over the British government's designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

The group was proscribed shortly after activists entered the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton base in June 2025.

Palestine Action co founder Huda Ammori subsequently challenged the designation in court. The High Court ruled in her favour in February 2026, but the Court of Appeal overturned that decision in June.

The case is expected to be considered by the Supreme Court in November.

The ban has also attracted criticism from civil liberties organisations, which have raised concerns about its implications for freedom of expression and the right to protest.

According to reports, more than 3000 people have been arrested for displaying signs expressing support for Palestine Action since the organisation was proscribed.

Rooney's withdrawal from the British book market highlights the wider consequences of the legislation for publishers, authors and the distribution of literary works.

While her books will remain available internationally, Faber has not indicated when sales in Britain might resume.