Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones Defend Sally Rooney After UK Ban

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, stars of the miniseries Normal People, have come to the defense of author Sally Rooney after her British publisher announced it would stop distributing her books in the UK.

The actors signed an open letter to the British government alongside names like Jessie Buckley – Oscar-winning actress for Hamnet –, Naomi Klein, and members of the musical group Kneecap. “Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist,” states one person that signed the document, which criticizes the anti-terrorism legislation used as the basis for the decision and warns of the risks to freedom of expression. “We categorically reject censorship – whether direct or indirect – and urge the government to change course, amending the legislation which has led us to this point of repressive absurdity,” the letter adds.

The controversy began after Rooney declared that he intended to donate the profits from his works to Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian direct action group that was classified as a terrorist organization by the British government in July 2025.

According to the publisher Faber & Faber, legislation prevents the transfer of earnings obtained in the United Kingdom to the author, which led to the decision to stop supplying her books in the country, with Rooney's consent. This measure does not equate to a formal ban on the titles: bookstores can still sell copies they already have in stock, but cannot order new copies from the publisher.

The author's biggest bestseller is Normal People, which sold over a million copies in the UK and spawned a miniseries starring Mescal and Edgar-Jones.