An open letter signed by leading authors, artists and public figures condemns the withdrawal of Rooney’s books from sale under anti-terrorism legislation, calling on the government to amend the law and protect freedom of expression.
Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist, according to an open letter signed by prominent authors, artists and public figures calling on the UK government to reverse the withdrawal of her books from sale.
The signatories argue that using anti-terrorism legislation to restrict access to Rooney’s work undermines freedom of speech and expression. They describe the decision as an example of excessive state power and urge ministers to amend the legislation that has made the restrictions possible.
“We categorically reject censorship – whether direct or indirect – and urge the government to change course,” the letter states.
The signatories include writers Zadie Smith, Arundhati Roy, Irvine Welsh, Naomi Klein and Annie Ernaux, as well as actors Tilda Swinton, Paul Mescal and Susan Sarandon. Filmmakers Jonathan Glazer and Asif Kapadia, musician Nitin Sawhney and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn are also among those who signed.
The letter frames the dispute as a broader question about the limits of anti-terrorism laws and their implications for artistic freedom, arguing that the public should retain access to Rooney’s books.
Adam Tooze
Afua Hirsch
Ahdaf Soueif
AK Blakemore
Alexei Sayle
Alison Oliver
Amia Srinivasan
Amit Chaudhuri
Amitav Ghosh
Amitava Kumar
Andrea Calderwood
Andreas Malm
Andrew Motion
Angharad Hampshire
Anika Jade Levy
Anna Burns
Anne Carson
Anne Enright
Annie Ernaux
Annie Macmanus
Annie Proulx
Anthony Barnett
Antonia Lloyd-Jones
Arifa Akbar
Armando Iannucci
Arundhati Roy
Asif Kapadia
Avi Shlaim
Bella Freud
Ben Ehrenreich
Ben Lerner
Ben Rivers
Benjamin Moser
Bernardine Evaristo
Blake Morrison
Caryl Churchill
Chris Kraus
Chris Power
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (CMAT)
Colm Tóibín
Colum McCann
Cornelia Parker
Daisy Edgar-Jones
David Edgar
David Farr
David Wengrow
Deborah Levy
Diana Evans
Ed Gillespie
Eleanor Catton
Elif Batuman
Emily Wilson
Faiza Shaheen
Fatima Bhutto
Fionn O’Shea
Francis Spufford
Francisco Garcia
Gary Lineker
Geoff Dyer
George Saunders
Hannah Lillith Assadi
Hassan Abdulrazzak
Hermione Hoby
Hisham Matar
Inua Ellams
Irvine Welsh
Jacqueline Rose
Jacques Testard
James Meek
James Wilson
Jeanette Winterson
Jeff McMahan
Jeremy Corbyn
Jessie Buckley
Jhumpa Lahiri
JM Coetzee
John Akomfrah
Jolyon Maugham
Jonathan Glazer
Jonathon Porritt
Josh Cohen
Judith Herrin
Julian Barnes
Juliet Stevenson
Kate Nash
Kate Zambreno
Kathy Lette
Kaveh Akbar
Kieran Morris
Kneecap
Lamorna Ash
Laura Wade
Lauren J Joseph
Lenny Abrahamson
Maaza Mengiste
Madeline Cash
Madra Salach
Margie Orford
Marian Keyes
Mark O’Connell
Maxine Peake
Megha Mohan
Merve Emre
Michael Frayn
Michael Magee
Michael Rosen
Mike Dibb
Mobeen Azhar
Monica Ali
Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Namwali Serpell
Naoise Dolan
Naomi Klein
Neel Mukherjee
Nicole Flattery
Nikita Lalwani
Nitin Sawhney
Olivia Hetreed
Olivia Laing
Omar El Akkad
Omar Robert Hamilton
Orlando Reade
Owen Jones
Patricia Lockwood
Paul Mescal
Peter Singer
Priyamvada Gopal
Ramita Navai
Rana Dasgupta
Rebecca Perry
Rob Doyle
Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack)
Rowan Moore
Sally Potter
Samuel West
Sangita Myska
Sarah Hall
Seamas O’Reilly
Shahidha Bari
Shami Chakrabarti
Sharon Horgan
Sheila Heti
Slavoj Žižek
Sophie Kemp
Sophie Smith
Stephanie Wambugu
Sunny Singh
Susan Bernofsky
Susan Sarandon
Tariq Ali
Tessa Hadley
Tilda Swinton
Tom Overton
Wendy Brown
William Boyd
William Dalrymple
Xiaolu Guo
Young Fathers
Zadie Smith
Be First to Comment