Stars Defend Author Sally Rooney Against UK Book Ban

A group of prominent artists and actors, including Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, have signed an open letter to the UK government protesting the removal of author Sally Rooney's books from sale. The books were reportedly delisted due to Rooney's support for Palestine Action, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the UK authorities.

Mescal and Edgar-Jones, who starred in the television adaptation of Rooney's bestseller "Normal People," are among the signatories. The letter, published in the British magazine New Statesman, argues that Rooney is "a writer, not a terrorist" and that her books should remain accessible to the public. Other notable signatories include actors Jessie Buckley, Susan Sarandon, and Tilda Swinton, directors Lenny Abrahamson and Jonathan Glazer, author Irwin Welsh, Irish band " " and Massive Attack member Robert Del Naja.

The signatories condemned the removal of Rooney's works, calling it a violation of free speech principles and urging the government to reconsider the legislation that led to this situation. They stated, "We unequivocally reject direct or indirect censorship and call on the government to change course and rectify the legislation that has led us to this point of repressive absurdity."

Rooney's publisher in the UK and Ireland, Faber, confirmed that current UK legislation prevents them from transferring royalties from her work in Britain, leading to the books being removed from shelves. Palestine Action was outlawed in the UK in 2025 for its history of property damage, including actions against companies supplying military equipment to Israel. Rooney, a prominent figure in the cultural boycott movement against Israel, had previously refused translation rights for her books to Israeli publishers not meeting BDS movement criteria, though she later agreed to the publication of her latest novel "Intermezzo" by an Israeli publisher that met her conditions.