A Book Is Withdrawn, and Free Speech Is Tested

There is a particular kind of silence that falls when a book is no longer available—not the silence of a library after hours, but the silence of a voice that has been asked, by circumstance or by law, to step back from the shelf. In the United Kingdom this week, that silence arrived for the novels of Sally Rooney, one of the most widely read Irish writers of her generation.

Rooney's publisher, Faber, announced Wednesday that it will no longer supply her works in the UK in any format, following her public declaration that she intended to use proceeds from her books to support Palestine Action, a group the British government proscribed as a terrorist organization in July 2025 . The ban makes membership in or support for the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison .

The decision was made "in full agreement" with Rooney, who said in a statement that further publication of her work in the UK "could now constitute a serious criminal offence." "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," she said .

Faber framed its decision in the language of obligation. "Current legislation in the UK has led to circumstances where Faber cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work," the publisher said. "To sell a writer's work and not be able to pass on earnings is an unconscionable situation for a publisher" .

The practical effect has been immediate. Ebook editions have been removed from sale in the UK, though many bookshops still have physical stock on their shelves. Waterstones confirmed that Faber had advised there were no restrictions on booksellers selling their existing copies . At London's Camden Town Bookshop, bookseller Lucy Burke described the situation as "absolutely ridiculous," saying it amounted to censorship of "one of our most prominent writers" .

The debate over Palestine Action's proscription has been building for more than a year. The group, founded in 2020, targets arms companies linked to Israel's military. The British government says it has "carried out acts of terrorism" and has a "long history" of criminal damage . But civil liberties groups argue the ban unjustifiably restricts free speech. More than 3,700 people have been arrested for expressing support for the group, including retirees in their 80s and 90s holding signs reading "I support Palestine Action" . No one has yet been convicted, and a legal challenge is due before the Supreme Court next month .

Rooney has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. In an Irish Times article last year, she wrote that she intended to use proceeds from her work to support Palestine Action "despite that being an offence in the UK" . She previously cancelled a trip to Britain to collect a literary award over concerns she could face arrest .

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori described the withdrawal of Rooney's books as "a new low in the escalating assault on free speech caused by the proscription of Palestine Action" . The UK Home Office, meanwhile, maintains that the ban "followed a rigorous, evidence-based decision-making process" and that "the proscription of Palestine Action does not affect lawful protest in support of the Palestinian cause" .

For readers in the UK, the immediate result is simpler. Rooney's novels—Normal People, Conversations with Friends, Beautiful World Where Are You, and Intermezzo—remain available in other territories. But in Britain, what is left is what was already on the shelves. And a writer whose work has sold more than six million copies worldwide now finds herself, in one country, effectively unread .

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Sources: Associated Press, BBC News, RTE, RNZ, The New York Times, The Canadian Press