Artists John Akomfrah, Ben Rivers, and Dozens Others Defend Sally Rooney in Open Letter

Earlier this month, the publisher Faber & Faber announced that it was pulling the books of Sally Rooney from UK shops due to the Irish novelist’s support for Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group designated as a terrorist organization by the UK government. Now, dozens of artists and writers have signed an open letter that appeared in the New Statesman on Wednesday in protest of the UK government’s policy.

Among the signatories are artists John Akomfrah and Ben Rivers, art historian William Dalrymple, writer and Joyland magazine editor Stephanie Wambugu, and novelist and critic Kate Zambreno. Other prominent signatories include film director Jonathan Glazer; novelists Patricia Lockwood, Ben Lerner, and Zadie Smith; philosopher Slavoj Žižek; and actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who starred in the television adaptation of Rooney’s Normal People.

“Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist,” the letter reads. “Her books must be available to the public. Their withdrawal from sale, on the basis of ill-conceived and draconian anti-terror legislation, is an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression so long taken for granted in this country. We categorically reject censorship—whether direct or indirect—and urge the government to change course, amending the legislation which has led us to this point of repressive absurdity.”

The current standoff began last year, when Rooney announced that she planned to use proceeds from her work to support Palestine Action—one month after the UK government designated it a terrorist organization, making support of the group a criminal offense under the Terrorism Act.

In a statement to the Guardian, Rooney said: “‘In July 2025, the direct-action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. The following month, I wrote an opinion piece expressing my intention to go on supporting Palestine Action, which is not a proscribed or otherwise prohibited group here in the Republic of Ireland.

“As a result, the fulfillment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offense. After a process of consultation and deliberation, and with my full agreement, my publisher Faber has therefore determined that it can no longer supply my work within the UK. I have made every effort to be honest with the public about my beliefs and intentions, and I am wholly prepared to accept the consequences.”

Per the Guardian, Section 15 of the Terrorism Act stipulates that any person who “provides money or other property, and knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism” has committed a crime. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

After the passage of the ban, Rooney canceled a trip to the UK to pick up an award out of fear of arrest.

The novelist is one of the most celebrated writers of her generation, known for her critically acclaimed and best-selling novels Normal People, Conversations with Friends, and Intermezzo.