Children’s laureates offer royalties to Sally Rooney
Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies said they would donate royalties after Rooney said she could no longer sell her books in the UK following her pledge to support Palestine Action.
Ireland’s children’s laureate Chris Haughton and Wales’s children’s laureate Nicola Davies have offered royalties from their books to Sally Rooney. The newspaper reported that Rooney said she could no longer sell her books in the UK after announcing that proceeds would support Palestine Action.
The announcement places a publishing dispute inside a wider argument about protest, terrorism law and freedom of expression. Haughton said he would donate royalties from his UK book sales, while Davies said she would give Rooney the next half-year’s royalties from one of her books.
Rooney’s position concerns Palestine Action, a direct-action group that was proscribed under the Terrorism Act. The proscription means that supporting the organisation in ways covered by the legislation can carry criminal consequences. The legal position is distinct from whether an author expresses political sympathy or criticism, and individual conduct must be assessed under the law.
The Guardian reported that Rooney said she could no longer sell her books in the UK after announcing that proceeds would support the group. The same report said that the Supreme Court is due to hear a legal challenge to the proscription on 4 and 5 November.
Haughton framed his donation as solidarity with another author and as a way to highlight what he considers an absurd outcome. Davies connected her support to her stated concern for children affected by conflict. Those are the authors’ political views, not findings by a court.
The development does not change the legal status of Palestine Action or decide the pending challenge. It does, however, show how the proscription has reached the publishing world, raising questions about how the law distinguishes financial support, expression and association.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Two children’s laureates announced that they would give royalties to Sally Rooney.
- The dispute concerns Rooney’s stated support for Palestine Action and the group’s proscribed status.
- A legal challenge to the proscription is scheduled for the Supreme Court in November.
Left
Arguments Freedom of expression and political solidarity should not be chilled by broad restrictions, particularly where authors are discussing humanitarian issues and protest.
Values Civil liberties, artistic independence and opposition to state overreach.
Consequences Supporters fear that the law could discourage legitimate speech, fundraising and cultural work.
Centre
Arguments The law should be applied carefully and transparently, with a clear distinction between expressing an opinion, providing material support and committing an offence.
Values Due process, proportionality and legal clarity.
Consequences A court-led resolution could protect both public safety and legitimate expression, but uncertainty will remain until the case is heard.
Right
Arguments From a right-wing perspective, the argument is that proscription should prevent organisations associated with terrorism from receiving support, and public figures should not treat political sympathy as a reason to bypass the law.
Values Public safety, enforcement and responsibility for consequences.
Consequences A firm approach may reduce support networks, while critics would argue that excessive breadth risks making lawful dissent harder.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The reported donations and the scheduled legal challenge are supported by the cited report. The copy avoids presenting the authors’ legal and political assertions as established facts.
- confirmed Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies offered royalties to Sally Rooney. — Reported by The Guardian on 25 October 2026. source
- confirmed Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act. — Reported in the cited article’s legal background. source
- confirmed The Supreme Court is due to hear a challenge on 4 and 5 November. — Reported in the same article. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: after Rooney stopped UK sales over her support for Palestine ActionNow: after Rooney stopped UK sales following her stated support for Palestine Action (The revised wording makes clear that the causal description is based on the reported account rather than an independently established legal finding.)
Editor's note
The article reports the authors’ announced actions and the reported legal background. It does not independently assess the legality of Rooney’s conduct or predict the Supreme Court’s decision.Sources
More on this in other media
- Channel 4 News — „sally rooney”
- BBC News — „sally rooney”
- The Guardian — „sally rooney”