Who Is Sally Rooney? The UK’s Most Infamous Author After JK Rowling

Sally Rooney has found worldwide success and fame for her books, but the author has also received her fair share of controversy. Being the most infamous author in the U.K. after J.K. Rowling, the Conversations with Friends author has found controversy again regarding her stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Being the author of Normal People, Beautiful World, Where Are You, and Intermezzo, Sally Rooney is regarded as one of the foremost millennial writers, and in 2022, Time named her among the 100 most influential people in the world.

Despite the success that she is achieving in her professional career, her books were recently pulled back from the UK market after the author made a supportive comment for Palestine Action back in June 2025.

Why Sally Rooney’s Books Were Pulled Back in the UK

Sally Rooney is the recipient of several awards | Credits: Louisiana Channel via YouTube

It was recently reported by the Associated Press that Sally Rooney’s books will no longer be available for sale in the U.K. Back in 2025, the Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton and sprayed the engines of two Airbus A330 MRTT tankers with red paint.

Soon, the British government declared the group a terrorist organization, something that didn’t sit well with Rooney. In a statement, Faber (Rooney’s publisher) stated that even though the books could be sold, Rooney could not obtain the earnings legally and, as such, “in full agreement with Sally, we have taken the decision that we can no longer supply her works in the U.K. in any format.”

The decision to pull back her books from the UK market came after the author had written a column in The Irish Times in August 2025 titled Sally Rooney: I support Palestine Action. If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it. Although Britain’s High Court ruled that the government’s decision to outlaw the protest group was unlawful, the ban is still in effect, with another hearing pending to overturn it.

Despite the controversy that Sally Rooney has been involved in, the author is quite adamant in her support for Palestine.

Sally Rooney To Continue Her Support For Palestine Despite Drawbacks

Sally Rooney reading Normal People in a public event | Credits: London Review Bookshop via YouTube

As the talk continued, Sally Rooney stepped in and opined that she has made every effort “to be honest with the public” about her beliefs and intentions. The authoress also added that she is “wholly prepared to accept the consequences” (via THR).

With her books sold a total of 6 million times, her work has been translated into 47 languages, and despite Rooney’s books getting shelved in the U.K. market, the author has stated that she will continue to support Palestine Action.

She revealed that whatever proceeds she will be earning from her novels and TV fees (her two novels were adapted into television shows) will be used to continue her support of Palestine Action.

Although it isn’t clear when her books will be available for sale again, what it does mean for the authoress is that she has invited controversy similar to that of Harry Potter authoress J.K. Rowling.