Two prominent children’s literature laureates from Ireland and Wales have announced they will donate their book royalties to author Sally Rooney after she was compelled to halt UK sales of her works due to her support for the group Palestine Action.
Chris Haughton, Ireland’s children’s literature laureate, said his decision was intended to highlight what he described as the “absurdity” of Rooney being barred from receiving royalties in the UK as a result of her public backing for the direct action group. Haughton, whose books have achieved international success, expressed solidarity with Rooney’s stance despite his own constraints while frequently in the UK. “As authors, we need to be focused on freedom of expression, this is everything we’re about,” he said, adding that sending royalties to Rooney “adds another level of absurdity” to the situation.
Palestine Action, which became the first direct action group proscribed under the UK Terrorism Act in July 2025, is designated alongside groups such as al-Qaida and Boko Haram. Haughton has himself been arrested twice in connection with displays allegedly supporting the organisation, an offence that carries a maximum six-month prison sentence. Rooney pledged to donate proceeds from her UK book sales to Palestine Action following its proscription, though under UK law, knowingly providing funds to groups banned as terrorist organisations is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Nicola Davies, the children’s laureate for Wales and author of the book The Day War Came, voiced her support for Rooney from a humanitarian perspective. Citing the scale of destruction in Gaza—smaller in area than the Welsh county of Flintshire—Davies said she could not ignore the suffering of children in the region. She announced plans to donate royalties from her book to Rooney once they are received, noting that sales of her work have increased due to global conflicts including those in Ukraine and Palestine.
Haughton described Palestine Action as the most effective organisation in the UK in efforts to prevent arms shipments contributing to what he referred to as genocide, expressing confidence that he would be on “the right side of history” in supporting the group.
Amid growing attention to Rooney’s situation, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the issue during parliamentary question time, affirming that the proscription of Palestine Action followed a “rigorous and evidence-based process” and had parliamentary approval. He declined to comment further ahead of a forthcoming Supreme Court hearing on November 4 and 5, where a legal challenge will argue that the ban on Palestine Action disproportionately limits freedoms of expression and protest.