Can You Still Buy Sally Rooney Books in the UK? Titles Withdrawn Despite 'Normal People' Selling One Million Copies

Sally Rooney's books are still available in UK bookshops, despite her publisher withdrawing new supplies over her support for Palestine Action. The move has reignited debate about the intersection of literature, politics and law in Britain.

On Wednesday, Faber, a leading independent publishing house, confirmed it would stop distributing the Irish novelist's work in Britain in every format, with her agreement. The decision affects bestsellers, including Normal People, which has sold more than one million copies in the UK, but retailers can continue selling physical stock already on their shelves.

Availability of Rooney's Books in the UK

Readers can still purchase existing copies of Normal People, Conversations with Friends, Beautiful World, Where Are You and Intermezzo while shops have them in stock. Waterstones confirmed that retailers are permitted to sell their remaining inventory, according to The Guardian. Second-hand bookshops and resellers may also have copies, although availability will vary.

The decision does not require booksellers to remove titles from display or return unsold copies. Once their remaining inventory is gone, they cannot replenish it through the publisher.

New orders through Faber have stopped. Digital editions have also started to be withdrawn from UK platforms, meaning readers seeking ebooks or audiobooks may find fewer options.

Faber clarified that the announcement applies only to the UK market. The publisher said it would continue selling Rooney's work in other territories, including markets where the same legal restrictions do not apply.

Why Has Faber Withdrawn Rooney's Books?

The decision follows Rooney's public commitment in August 2025 to use proceeds from her books and television adaptations to support Palestine Action. The British government proscribed the direct-action group as a terrorist organisation in July 2025. Under the Terrorism Act, providing funds while knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect they may be used for terrorism can carry a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Faber said UK legislation prevented it from passing earnings to Rooney. It called selling an author's work without paying them 'an unconscionable situation' and confirmed the withdrawal had her full agreement.

Rooney said fulfilling her UK publishing contracts might risk breaching terrorism legislation, given her stated intention to direct proceeds to Palestine Action. She added that she was 'wholly prepared to accept the consequences' of her publicly stated intentions.

The books themselves have not been prohibited by the government. Their withdrawal is a joint decision by Rooney and her publisher in response to the legal position surrounding payments.

Success of Rooney's Work and What Comes Next

Normal People has sold more than one million copies in Britain, while Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You have each passed 500,000, according to sales figures cited by The Irish Times.

The BBC adapted Normal People and Conversations with Friends for television, bringing Rooney's work to an audience beyond bookshops. The television adaptation of Normal People became one of the broadcaster's biggest hits in 2020 and established Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones as well-known figures in the entertainment industry.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has described the withdrawal as a blow to freedom of expression. The Home Office defended the proscription, saying it followed an evidence-based process endorsed by Parliament, while maintaining that lawful protest for Palestinians remains protected.

A legal challenge to the group's proscription is continuing. Meanwhile, UK readers can buy copies already in circulation, but Faber has announced no timetable for resuming supplies.