Global cultural figures protest the withdrawal of Sally Rooney's books in the UK

One hundred and sixty prominent figures from the fields of literature, film, and art have issued an open letter in The New Statesman to protest the removal of Irish author Sally Rooney's novels from the United Kingdom market. The withdrawal of her works was reportedly initiated last week due to the author's public support for the organization Palestine Action, which has been designated as a banned entity.

The signatories, who assert that "Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist," include notable figures such as 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Anne Carson, Annie Ernaux, Julian Barnes, Arundhati Roy, and Colm Tóibín. The list of supporters also features prominent actors and filmmakers, including Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Tilda Swinton, Jessie Buckley, and director Jonathan Glazer, many of whom are linked to the successful screen adaptations of her literature.

While the distribution of her books has been frozen, the protest serves as a direct challenge to the interpretation of counter-terrorism legislation currently being applied to the literary sector. The letter highlights a growing tension between artistic expression and government enforcement of anti-terror statutes in the UK.