Two children's laureates to donate royalties to Sally Rooney after UK sales ban

The children's laureates for Ireland and Wales are to donate royalties from their books to Sally Rooney, in a show of solidarity after the novelist was forced to stop selling her books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action.

Chris Haughton, Ireland's children's literature laureate, said the move was also meant to highlight the "absurdity" of a bestselling author being unable to receive royalties from her own UK sales because of her public backing for the direct action group. His books have sold millions worldwide.

"I really want to express my full support for Sally Rooney," Haughton said. "As someone who is in the UK a lot of the time, I can't do what she has done, but I can support her instead of supporting Palestine Action." He added that authors should be focused on freedom of expression, and called the whole situation "a farce" that makes "a mockery of the law".

Haughton said he has twice been arrested for holding placards allegedly supporting Palestine Action. The group became the first direct action organisation to be proscribed under the UK Terrorism Act in July last year, placing it in the same category as al-Qaida and Boko Haram. His alleged offence carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

After the ban came into force, Rooney, whose books include Normal People and Conversations with Friends, said she would use proceeds from her sales to support Palestine Action. Providing money that one knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, will or may be used for terrorism carries a maximum jail term of 14 years.

Nicola Davies, children's laureate for Wales and author of The Day War Came, a book about a child refugee from war, said she could not claim to stand up for the children of Wales while remaining silent about children in Gaza. "Gaza is smaller than the Welsh county of Flintshire, and it's as if all Wales's children were concentrated there and being bombed," she said. She plans to donate the royalties from that book when her half-year payment arrives shortly. She noted that its sales have been boosted by the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine.

Haughton, who will donate royalties from his UK book sales, described Palestine Action as the only organisation, or the most effective one, in the UK to have had some success in stopping arms going to what he called a genocide. "I'm very sure that I will be on the right side of history," he said.

The issue was raised at prime minister's questions on Wednesday, where Andy Burnham was asked whether he would review the ban in light of Rooney's situation. He replied that proscription "followed a rigorous and evidence-based process that came before this house, endorsed by parliament".

Burnham declined to comment further because the supreme court is due to hear a legal challenge to the ban on 4 and 5 November. The challenge argues that the proscription interferes disproportionately with the rights to freedom of expression and protest.