Sally Rooney's Publisher Halts Sales Amid Controversy Over Charity Donations
Faber has stopped selling Sally Rooney's books after the author directed royalties to Palestine Action, prompting debate over the political implications of her support.
Faber, Rooney's UK publisher, announced it will no longer sell the Irish novelist's titles following her decision to donate royalties to the organization Palestine Action. The move has sparked discussion about the intersection of literary commerce and political activism.
Rooney, whose novels have achieved bestseller status since the 2017 release of Conversations with Friends, has previously expressed ambivalence toward the publishing industry. In a 2019 interview with Esquire, she said, "The writing is the bit that I do this for, and at the end I submit to it being published."
She has also commented on the financial aspects of authorship, noting in a 2018 New Statesman interview that, "If you can’t afford it, steal my book, but my position in the structure, as someone who makes money from intellectual property, makes my saying it quite hollow."
In a 2024 interview with The Times, Rooney stated she has little interest in marketing her books, describing herself as feeling "obliged" to discuss her novels rather than actively seeking to sell them.
The publisher's decision reflects ongoing tensions between artistic expression, commercial interests, and political advocacy.