Paul Mescal, Jonathan Glazer, among stars rallying behind Sally Rooney over Palestine Action censorship
Kitty Grant reports in The New Arab on 22 October 2026:
Dozens of prominent writers, actors, musicians and activists have rallied behind Irish novelist Sally Rooney after her books were withdrawn from sale in Britain over her support for the banned pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action.
The open letter, titled “Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist”, was published on the front page of British political magazine New Statesman, condemning the withdrawal of her books as an attack on freedom of expression.
Among the signatories include acclaimed authors Zadie Smith, Ahdaf Soueif, Arundhati Roy and Nobel Prize-winning writer Annie Ernaux, alongside actors Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Tilda Swinton and Susan Sarandon.
The intervention comes amid growing controversy over Britain’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation, a move that has sparked concerns about the criminalisation of pro-Palestinian activism and the wider implications for civil liberties.
Rooney, one of the most prominent novelists of her generation, has been an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights and has refused to distance herself from Palestine Action despite the legal and commercial consequences. The group, known for direct-action protests targeting companies linked to Israel’s military, was proscribed by the British government as a terrorist organisation. The designation remains the subject of legal challenges.
Last year, Rooney pledged to donate proceeds from her books and their television adaptations to Palestine Action, turning her literary success into a source of financial support for the pro-Palestinian movement.