Queer writers and artists are among those who have signed an open letter in solidarity with Sally Rooney after a UK publisher stopped supplying her books over her support for Palestine Action.

New Statesman published the letter on Wednesday, October 21, signed by writers, actors, musicians and filmmakers, including Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who rose to fame in the 2020 television adaptation of Rooney’s bestselling novel Normal People.

Among the LGBTQ+ signatories are acclaimed authors Jeanette Winterson, Colm Tóibín and Naoise Dolan, alongside actor Tilda Swinton and singer CMAT. Irish authors Tóibín and Dolan are also known for their portrayals of queer lives and relationships. 

Other prominent names include Deborah Levy, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, Irish writers Marian Keyes and Anne Enright, as well as Jessie Buckley, Kneecap and filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson, director of Normal People.

The open letter begins: “Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist. Her books must be available to the public.”

The letter condemns the withdrawal of Rooney’s books from sale, describing it as a threat to freedom of speech and expression. The signatories also call on the UK government to amend the anti-terrorism legislation, which they describe as having led to a point of “repressive absurdity”.

Earlier this month, on October 14, Rooney and her longtime UK and Ireland publisher, Faber & Faber, announced that they had agreed to stop supplying her books in the UK. The decision followed Rooney’s public commitment to use earnings from her work to support Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian direct-action group which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government on July 5, 2025.

Under UK counter-terrorism legislation, providing financial support to a proscribed organisation can constitute a criminal offence.

In its statement, Faber explained that current UK legislation prevented it from passing Rooney’s earnings on to her. The publisher described the prospect of selling an author’s work without paying them as “unconscionable”. Rooney agreed to the decision.

While her books have not been banned in the UK, Faber will no longer supply new copies to British retailers. Bookshops can continue selling existing stock, and her work remains available in Ireland and other territories.

Rooney has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military bombardment of Gaza and an advocate for Palestinian rights in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. In August 2025, she publicly said she would continue supporting Palestine Action, which is not a proscribed organisation in the Republic of Ireland.

Her decision has prompted wider debate about how the UK’s anti-terrorism legislation affects artistic freedom and political expression.

With prominent LGBTQ+ writers and performers among the signatories, the open letter supporting Sally Rooney highlights the legislation’s consequences for one of Ireland’s most internationally recognised contemporary authors.

Here in Ireland, however, bookshops have reported increased interest in Sally Rooney’s novels. Dublin’s Books Upstairs shared a photograph on Instagram showing stacks of Rooney’s books and thanked customers for the overwhelming response to its show of support for the author. The independent bookshop revealed that it had raised €3,027 through sales, which it donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians.

 

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You can view the full list of signatories calling for changes to UK legislation on the New Statesman website.