Irish writer Chris Haughton and Welsh writer Nicola Davies, who hold the titles of Children’s Laureates of Ireland and Wales, respectively, have announced that they will donate proceeds from sales of their books to Irish novelist Sally Rooney, in solidarity with her after she said she could no longer continue selling her works in Britain because of legal restrictions linked to her support for the group Palestine Action.
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Haughton, whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide, said his initiative aims to defend freedom of expression and highlight what he described as the “absurdity of the situation” that prevents Rooney from receiving royalties from her works in the British market because of her publicly stated positions.
He said he would donate the proceeds from sales of his books in Britain to Rooney, stressing that solidarity among writers is particularly important when freedom of expression is at stake, as it is one of the fundamental pillars of literary work.
Meanwhile, Welsh author Nicola Davies announced that she would give Rooney the royalties she receives from her book The Day War Came, which tells the story of a young refugee girl who flees war. Davies noted that sales of the book had increased amid the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine.
Davies stressed that the defence of children “cannot stop at geographical borders,” linking her position to the suffering of children in the Gaza Strip.
The two initiatives follow Rooney’s announcement that she intends to direct royalties from her works towards supporting Palestine Action, which British authorities banned in July 2025 under counterterrorism legislation.
The ban has sparked widespread debate over the limits of freedom of expression and protest. The UK Supreme Court is expected to hear a legal challenge to the decision on November 4 and 5, based on allegations that the ban imposes disproportionate restrictions on fundamental rights.
The two writers’ stance has renewed debate over the relationship between creative freedom and political positions, as well as the extent to which legislation can affect the circulation of literary works and authors’ rights.
