Over 150 authors urge UK to change Palestine Action ban after Rooney sales end

More than 150 writers and public figures signed an open letter on Wednesday publicly urging the British government to amend its “draconian” ban on Palestine Action, after Irish author Sally Rooney said she was halting sales of her books in Britain as a result, The Express Tribune reported, citing AFP.

“Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist. Her books must be available to the public,” said the letter, signed by Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux and Anne Carson among others.

The Labour government has been heavily criticised by some for proscribing Palestine Action, which it banned as a “terrorist” group in July 2025. The ban, which the group is appealing, puts it on the same list as Hamas and Hezbollah and making it illegal to be part of, support or finance it. Thousands of people have been arrested since for protesting against the ban.

Why Rooney’s books were pulled

Rooney and her publisher, Faber, announced last week that they had to end sales of her books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action.

• Royalties: Faber said the ban meant it could not legally pass on royalties earned in the UK to Rooney, whose best-sellers include Normal People and Intermezzo and have earned her praise as the “voice of a generation”
• Her stance: Rooney has repeatedly expressed support for the group and said she intends to fund it; Palestine Action is not banned in Ireland, where she lives and works

“Repressive absurdity”

“Their withdrawal from sale, on the basis of ill-conceived and draconian anti-terror legislation, is an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression so long taken for granted in this country,” the letter said.

“We categorically reject censorship, whether direct or indirect, and urge the government to change course, amending the legislation which has led us to this point of repressive absurdity,” it said.

Who signed

• Authors: Annie Ernaux, Anne Carson, Colm Toibin, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Zadie Smith and Julian Barnes
• Actors: Paul Mescal and Tilda Swinton

The ban under challenge

Palestine Action says its goal is to end “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”. It was banned after a series of high-profile protests against the war in Gaza, including actions targeting weapons factories, especially those of Israeli arms company Elbit.

Last week, police looked into a social media post by Sarah Helm, the wife of Britain’s national security adviser, supporting the group, but later said it did not merit a criminal investigation.

Britain’s Supreme Court is due to hear an appeal against the ban from the group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, next month.

Why it matters

When a celebrated novelist cannot sell her books in Britain for supporting a protest group against the war in Gaza, the question of where security ends and censorship begins becomes impossible to ignore. Read our report on Britain’s refusal to hold an inquiry into its role in Gaza.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune, AFP and Geo News.