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CultureQuiet 9d · day 10

Irish bookshops fill Faber's UK gap in Sally Rooney book sales

After Faber halted UK distribution over Rooney's plan to donate earnings to banned group Palestine Action, Irish shops are shipping her novels into Britain.

newest coverage 9d agosummary written 8d ago6 pieces NewswiresMastodonYouTube

What to know

  • Faber halted UK distribution of Sally Rooney's novels because it could not pass her UK earnings to Palestine Action, a group banned in Britain since July 2025.
  • Bookshops in the Republic of Ireland, where the group is not banned, are now supplying UK customers directly, with sales rising sharply, including a tenfold increase reported by Kenny's Bookshop in Galway.
  • Rooney's books themselves remain legal to sell in the UK, and existing stock can stay on shelves, but UK retailers cannot restock through Faber.
  • Palestine Action's proscription is separately being challenged at the UK Supreme Court by co-founder Huda Ammori, with an appeal hearing scheduled.

“You don't have to read it if you don't want it. You don't have to buy it if you don't want it,”

Jenni Doherty, Bookshop owner, Little Acorns Bookstore · Hindustan Times (AFP) ↗ · Nov 1

Sally Rooney AuthorFaber Rooney's publisherJenni Doherty Owner, Little Acorns Bookstore, LondonderryHuda AmmoriHuda Ammori Co-founder, Palestine ActionPalestine Action Banned pro-Palestinian direct action group

Irish bookshops fill Faber's UK gap in Sally Rooney book sales
aljazeera.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideosposts

Peak 4 pieces in 3h at Nov 2, 2 PM; 6 pieces over 10 days (2 articles · 1 video · 3 posts) Nov 1, 8 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 5 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — 4 pieces · 1 article · 1 video · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1, YouTube 1Nov 2, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Nov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 5 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 5 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 5 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 5 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 5 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 5 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 5 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 5 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietNov 7, 2 AM — quietNov 7, 5 AM — quietNov 7, 8 AM — quietNov 7, 11 AM — quietNov 7, 2 PM — quietNov 7, 5 PM — quietNov 7, 8 PM — quietNov 7, 11 PM — quietNov 8, 2 AM — quietNov 8, 5 AM — quietNov 8, 8 AM — quietNov 8, 11 AM — quietNov 8, 2 PM — quietNov 8, 5 PM — quietNov 8, 8 PM — quietNov 8, 11 PM — quietNov 9, 2 AM — quietNov 9, 5 AM — quietNov 9, 8 AM — quietNov 9, 11 AM — quietNov 9, 2 PM — quietNov 9, 5 PM — quietNov 9, 8 PM — quietNov 9, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 11 AM — quietToday, 2 PM — quietToday, 5 PM — quietToday, 8 PM — quiet 12
Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9yesterdaynow · 10:01 PM ET
  1. background

    UK Supreme Court to hear appeal on Palestine Action's ban — Britain's Supreme Court is due to hear an appeal brought by Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenging the group's proscription, over two days.

  2. 2

    Al Jazeera broadcasts coverage of the cross-border book trade

    Al Jazeera English aired a segment on the Londonderry bookshop's workaround, reiterating that Faber could not send UK earnings to Rooney over her support for Palestine Action.

    “The publisher said it couldn’t send UK earnings to Rooney due to her support for Palestine Action, but one bookstore is able to keep sales going.”
    — Al Jazeera English
  3. 1

    Irish bookshops ship Rooney titles to meet UK demand

    Little Acorns Bookstore in Londonderry is ordering stock through distributors in the Republic of Ireland and sending it to customers across Britain, while Kenny's Bookshop in Galway reports a tenfold rise in Rooney sales since Faber's decision.

    “We're not banned from selling the books. We can still have access to the books,…”
    — Jenni Doherty
    1. 1 outlet UK bookshop helps meet demand for Sally Rooney novels

      first by Al Jazeera, 9d ago

    2. 1 outlet first by Hindustan Times, 10d ago · read ↗

  4. background

    Faber halts UK distribution of Rooney's novels — Faber said it could no longer distribute Rooney's books in the UK because it could not transfer UK earnings to her after she announced plans to donate those proceeds to Palestine Action; the decision was made in agreement with Rooney and books already in British shops remain on sale.

  5. background

    UK government bans Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws — Palestine Action was proscribed in July 2025, placing it on the same list as Hezbollah and Hamas and making it illegal in Britain to belong to, support or finance the group. It is not banned in Ireland, where Rooney lives.