SHOCKING: Sally Rooney Pledges Book Royalties to Banned Pro-Palestinian Group

Irish novelist Sally Rooney, author of the international bestsellers Normal People and Conversations with Friends, announced she will donate royalties from her books and their television adaptations to “For Palestine,” a group recently designated as a terrorist organization by the British government.

In an opinion piece published last Sunday in The Irish Times, Rooney wrote: “I intend to use the royalties from my works, as well as my public platform more generally, to continue supporting ‘For Palestine’ and direct action against genocide.”

The author acknowledged that her decision may violate British law.

“If this means being considered a ‘supporter of terror’ under British law, I accept that,” she wrote. She added that her books remain widely available in the UK and that the BBC, which adapted both novels into hit series, continues to pay her royalties. “If the British state considers this terrorism, perhaps it should investigate the organizations that promote my work and fund my activity, like WHSmith and the BBC.”

The UK ban

The British Home Office outlawed "For Palestine" last month after members broke into a military base and vandalized two refueling aircraft, causing £7 million in damages. Parliament approved the move, making any support or affiliation with the group a criminal offense. Under the UK Terrorism Act of 2000, providing funds to a banned organization carries penalties of up to 14 years in prison.

Since the ban came into effect, police have arrested more than 700 people, according to the Daily Mail. Many were detained for displaying signs reading “I oppose genocide. I support ‘For Palestine’” during an August 9 protest in Parliament Square.

Literary impact

Rooney, 34, is one of Ireland’s most prominent contemporary writers. The BBC’s 2020 adaptation of Normal People, starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, became one of its most successful dramas in recent years, followed by the screen version of Conversations with Friends.

In her article, Sally Rooney concluded that she would have preferred to publish her statement in a British newspaper, “but now that would be considered illegal.”