Artists John Akomfrah, Ben Rivers Join Defense of Sally Rooney

By Elena Vasquez

Dozens of artists and writers — including John Akomfrah, Ben Rivers, Zadie Smith and Paul Mescal — signed an open letter published in the New Statesman on Wednesday defending Sally Rooney after her UK publisher pulled her books from British shops.

The letter's opening line is its sharpest: "Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist."

Who signed the letter?

The signatories span visual art, literature, film and academia. Artists John Akomfrah and Ben Rivers lead the list from the art world. They are joined by:

• Art historian William Dalrymple
• Writer and Joyland magazine editor Stephanie Wambugu
• Novelist and critic Kate Zambreno
• Film director Jonathan Glazer
• Novelists Patricia Lockwood, Ben Lerner and Zadie Smith
• Philosopher Slavoj Žižek
• Actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who starred in the television adaptation of Rooney's Normal People

The breadth of the list — visual artists, philosophers, screen actors and literary novelists — signals how far concern over the case has spread beyond the publishing industry since the withdrawal was announced earlier this month.

What does the letter say?

The letter, addressed to the UK government, argues that the withdrawal of Rooney's books violates basic free expression principles. It reads in full:

"Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist. Her books must be available to the public. Their withdrawal from sale, on the basis of ill-conceived and draconian anti-terror legislation, is an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression so long taken for granted in this country. 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 signatories do not dispute the legal mechanics of the withdrawal. They target the legislation itself, calling for amendment rather than for Faber & Faber to defy the law.

How did the standoff begin?

The timeline is precise. In July 2025, the UK government proscribed Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian direct-action group, as a terrorist organization. One month later, Rooney wrote an opinion piece announcing her intention to continue supporting the group — which remains legal in her home country, the Republic of Ireland, where Palestine Action is not a prohibited organization.

Support for a proscribed group became a criminal offense under the UK's Terrorism Act. Earlier this month, Faber & Faber announced it was pulling Rooney's books from UK shops as a result.

Rooney addressed the decision in a statement to the Guardian published October 14, 2026:

"In July 2025, the direct-action protest group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. The following month, I wrote an opinion piece expressing my intention to go on supporting Palestine Action, which is not a proscribed or otherwise prohibited group here in the Republic of Ireland."

She continued: "As a result, the fulfillment of contracts to publish my work in the UK could now constitute a serious criminal offense. After a process of consultation and deliberation, and with my full agreement, my publisher Faber has therefore determined that it can no longer supply my work within the UK. I have made every effort to be honest with the public about my beliefs and intentions, and I am wholly prepared to accept the consequences."

The decision was mutual, per Rooney's account: publisher and author agreed that continuing UK distribution carried criminal risk.

What law applies?

Per the Guardian, Section 15 of the Terrorism Act stipulates that any person who "provides money or other property, and knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that it will or may be used for the purposes of terrorism" has committed a crime. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

That figure explains the publisher's calculation. If royalties from Rooney's UK book sales were directed to a proscribed group, the supply chain itself — publisher, distributor, retailer — could fall within the statute's reach, and a 14-year maximum sentence concentrates legal minds.

The law has already altered Rooney's movements. After the ban's passage, she canceled a trip to the UK to collect an award, citing fear of arrest.

Who is Sally Rooney?

Rooney, an Irish novelist, is one of the most celebrated writers of her generation. Her critically acclaimed, best-selling novels include Normal People, Conversations with Friends and Intermezzo.

Normal People reached an audience far beyond fiction readers through its television adaptation, which starred two of the letter's signatories, Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

The case now sets a test precedent for how anti-terror legislation interacts with publishing, and the New Statesman letter puts the art world's most recognizable names on record demanding the law itself be changed.