Authors pledge royalties to Rooney

What's happened

Children’s laureates Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies have said they will donate forthcoming UK royalties to Sally Rooney after her UK publisher stopped supplying her books. Rooney has said she will give proceeds to Palestine Action, a group proscribed under UK terrorism law; Faber and Rooney agreed to halt UK sales because the publisher cannot pass on UK earnings.

What's behind the headline?

What is escalating

• Authors are turning commercial royalties into political statements. Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies are sending their UK royalties to Sally Rooney to ensure she receives money she says she will channel to Palestine Action.

Why this will matter

• The move will intensify legal and political pressure. Publishers and booksellers will face renewed scrutiny because the proscription criminalises providing funds to a listed group. That will force publishers to continue restricting UK payments and will push courts and politicians to clarify where artistic earnings intersect with terrorism law.

Who gains and who loses

• Rooney gains practical and symbolic support: donations will blunt the financial effect of UK supply halts. Haughton and Davies gain visibility by framing the campaign as a test of free expression. Publishers lose commercial certainty in the UK market and will keep limiting distribution to avoid criminal liability.

Likely next steps

• The Supreme Court hearing on 4–5 November 2026 will decide whether the proscription stands; that ruling will determine whether publishers can lawfully remit royalties. If the court upholds the ban, publishers will keep blocking UK payments and more cultural figures will likely route funds through third parties. If the court overturns the ban, Rooney’s books could return to normal UK distribution and the immediate legal risk to donors will fall.

Broader consequences

• This will shape how cultural institutions handle politically charged donations. Arts organisations and publishers will tighten compliance procedures and will likely avoid passing money when authors signal controversial uses, reducing artists' ability to convert sales into activism without legal risk.

How we got here

The UK proscribed Palestine Action in July 2025 and has arrested people for expressing support. Rooney said in 2025 she would donate proceeds to the group; her publisher and she have agreed to stop UK supplies because passing UK royalties could breach terrorism law. The ban is subject to a Supreme Court hearing on 4–5 November 2026.

Our analysis

The Guardian reports Haughton describing the situation as "a farce" and saying he will donate royalties to Rooney to "show solidarity" (The Guardian, 25 Oct 2026). Nicola Davies told the BBC she will give her half-year royalties from The Day War Came and said: "I can’t say that I am standing up for the children of Wales if I allow the children of Gaza to be murdered and mutilated without comment" (BBC Business, 30 Oct 2026). The BBC notes Rooney has said further publication in the UK "could constitute a 'serious criminal offence'" and that Faber and Rooney agreed to stop UK supplies because the publisher "cannot pass on UK earnings to Sally Rooney for her work" (BBC Business; Al Jazeera, 21 Oct 2026). The New Arab and Arab News record that Haughton has been arrested twice for holding placards allegedly supporting Palestine Action and that Palestine Action was proscribed in July 2025, placing it on the same legal footing as internationally proscribed groups (The New Arab, 26 Oct 2026; Arab News, 25 Oct 2026). The Guardian and The Times of Israel cite the open letter in the New Statesman calling the withdrawal "an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression" and listing signatories including Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux (The Guardian, 21 Oct 2026; The Times of Israel, 21 Oct 2026). Sales figures and shop reports in The Guardian show a near 300% sales spike after the withdrawal announcement and retail shortages as suppliers mark titles unavailable (The Guardian, 21 Oct 2026).

Go deeper

• Will the Supreme Court ruling on 4–5 November change publishers' ability to remit royalties?
• Could donors who route royalties to Rooney face prosecution under UK terrorism law?
• How will UK booksellers adapt if publishers continue to withhold supplies?

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