Sally Rooney’s books are reportedly being withdrawn from sale in the UK after she said she would use proceeds to support Palestine Action, the group the British government banned in July 2025. Rooney warned that fulfilling contracts to publish her work in the UK “could now constitute a serious criminal offence.”

Author Sarah Helm, the wife of the prime minister’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell, backed her: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.”

Under the ban, expressing support for the group carries up to 14 years in prison, and thousands have been arrested for holding placards.

Amnesty International UK’s chief executive said: “Writers should not find their books disappearing from shelves because of their political beliefs.”