Faber halts UK supply of Sally Rooney’s books
The publisher says British legislation prevents it from passing royalties on to Rooney.
Follow-up to: Sally Rooney books withdrawn from sale in Britain Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 20:28
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Publisher Faber is stopping the supply of Sally Rooney’s books to UK booksellers. According to Faber and Rooney, the decision was taken jointly because of the consequences of British legislation concerning the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action.
Faber announced the decision on Wednesday. The publisher says current British legislation means the company cannot pass on income from UK sales to Rooney. Faber will therefore no longer supply her work in any form to British bookshops.
According to Faber, Rooney agreed to the decision. In a statement, she said she had been honest about her beliefs and was prepared to accept the consequences. Faber remains her publisher and says it will continue selling the books in other countries.
The issue is connected to Palestine Action. The British government has banned the group and designated it a terrorist organisation. The sources do not show that the government directly ordered Faber to remove Rooney’s books from shops; the decision comes from the publisher and the author themselves.
The payment of royalties is at the centre of the matter. Faber says that sales in the United Kingdom without royalties being passed on to Rooney are unacceptable to the publisher. The publisher has provided no further explanation of the precise legal arrangement or of any agreements with British booksellers.
The consequences for readers are practical: new copies of Rooney’s books will no longer be supplied by Faber to UK sellers. According to the publisher, the books will remain available in other markets. It is not yet clear how long the measure will last or whether other publishers or sellers are considering legal action.
The case therefore affects both the book market and the debate over the scope for political support for banned organisations. Supporters of the ban will point to preventing financial support for a banned group. Critics will fear that the law also affects cultural distribution and public debate, even when a book itself is not a political pamphlet.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Faber is stopping the supply of Sally Rooney’s books to UK sellers.
- Faber says British legislation makes it impossible to pass royalties on to Rooney.
- Rooney agreed to the decision.
- Palestine Action has been banned by the United Kingdom and designated a terrorist organisation.
Left
Arguments The law is seen here as a measure that affects not only an organisation but also authors, publishers and readers. From this perspective, halting distribution could have a deterrent effect on political support and artistic freedom.
Values Freedom of expression, scope for protest and an open cultural debate are central.
Consequences A broad application of the law could lead to self-censorship among publishers and reduced access to books by authors with controversial views.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach means that Faber must comply with the law as long as the legal consequences remain unclear. At the same time, the publisher can continue its collaboration with Rooney and keep selling her books outside the United Kingdom.
Values Legal certainty, practicability and scope for cultural work within existing rules.
Consequences The measure limits distribution in the UK, but preserves international availability and the contractual relationship between author and publisher.
Right
Arguments From this perspective, preventing money flows to a banned organisation is logical. A publisher that cannot guarantee that royalties will not end up with such an organisation must suspend sales; Rooney knew that her support could have consequences.
Values National security, enforcement of the law and companies’ responsibility to prevent prohibited financing.
Consequences The approach could make financial support for banned groups more difficult, but it also requires clear rules so that companies do not have to determine arbitrarily what is legally permitted.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Faber’s decision, Rooney’s agreement and the financial reason have been confirmed by the publisher and independent reporting. The text distinguishes demonstrable facts from political interpretations and leaves unclear legal details open.
- confirmed Faber is stopping the supply of Rooney’s books in the United Kingdom. — This is stated in Faber’s statement of 14 October 2026. source
- confirmed Faber says it cannot pass UK income on to Rooney. — The publisher explicitly gives this as the reason for the decision. source
- confirmed Rooney agreed to the decision. — Faber writes that the decision was taken in full agreement with Rooney; AP reports the same. source
- confirmed Palestine Action has been banned by the British government as a terrorist organisation. — AP describes the organisation’s legal status in Britain. source
Editor's note
Faber and Rooney’s decision has been confirmed. The precise legal reason and the scope of British law have not been fully elaborated in the public statement; it has therefore not been claimed that the government directly banned the sales.Sources
- Faber Statement: 14 October 2026 — Faber
- Sally Rooney’s publisher withdraws her books from UK sale over support for Palestine Action — Associated Press
- Sally Rooney’s books will no longer be sold in UK due to her support for Palestine Action — Reuters via Investing.com
The story so far
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 20:28 Sally Rooney books withdrawn from sale in Britain
- Thursday, 15 October 2026, 08:59 Faber halts UK supply of Sally Rooney’s books (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „sally rooney”
- De Telegraaf — „sally rooney”
- AD — „sally rooney”