Irish Stars Come Out in Force to Support Sally Rooney with Open Letter
The letter says Rooney’s books should remain public and urges the British government to change anti-terror law after Faber halted UK supply.
- On Wednesday, more than 150 cultural figures, including actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, signed an open letter in the New Statesman supporting Irish author Sally Rooney after she halted UK book sales.
- Faber ended UK book supplies on October 14 because paying royalties to Rooney, who supports Palestine Action, could constitute a criminal offense under anti-terror legislation.
- Signatories condemned the withdrawal as a "repressive absurdity" and an affront to free speech, urging the government to amend legislation that proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization in July 2025.
- Rooney, whose novel Normal People has sold more than one million copies in the UK, stated she is "wholly prepared to accept the consequences" of funding the group, which remains legal in Ireland.
- The UK Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal next month from Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, contesting the organization's classification as a terrorist group under current legislation.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Normal People Stars Back Sally Rooney in Letter to UK Government
Hundreds of cultural figures including writers, actors and Nobel literature laureates have signed an open letter in support of Irish novelist Sally Rooney. The letter, published today in the New Statesman, calls on the UK government to overturn the ban on Palestine Action. Rooney’s support for the group has led to her books being withdrawn […]
They consider that British anti-terrorist legislation and the withdrawal of the sale of the Irish author’s books “infringement of the basic principles of freedom of expression and demonstration”
Authors urge UK to halt 'draconian' Palestine Action ban as Rooney sales end
The Labour government has been heavily criticised by some for proscribing Palestine Action as a "terrorist" group in July 2025, with thousands of people arrested since for protesting against the move. "Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist. Her books must be available to the public," said the letter signed by such notable figures as Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux and Anne Carson. Rooney and her publisher Faber last week announced they had to e…
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