Bookshops in Belfast have sold out of Sally Rooney's novels after her publisher announced it would no longer distribute her work in the UK. The decision by Faber & Faber follows Rooney's support for Palestine Action, a group proscribed in the UK under anti-terrorism legislation.

At No Alibis on Botanic Avenue, all Rooney titles were gone by 11am on Friday. Owner David Torrans said staff were left saddened and worried by the publisher's move. New stock arrived from a Dublin wholesaler that afternoon.

Torrans described the issue as one of freedom of speech. He said the shop would continue to sell Rooney's books as long as it could source them. He noted that Rooney's fiction deals with people's experiences rather than political polemic.

Customers responded quickly. Staff member Lexi Ward reported that people came in a panic to buy copies on Thursday. One first-time customer said the news made her want to support bookshops more.

In Dromore, Co Down, Bridge Books saw sales more than quadruple since Wednesday. Owner Lesley Price said demand had gone through the roof, with many online orders coming from Britain. She managed to get an emergency top-up from Dublin to fill orders but expected to sell out by the end of Friday.

The surge was not limited to Northern Ireland. Kennys Bookshop in Galway reported sales had increased tenfold, driven by UK orders. A representative said the public was shocked by what they saw as censorship of Rooney's work over her political views.

Faber & Faber cited British anti-terrorism legislation as preventing it from passing earnings to Rooney from book sales. Rooney has donated proceeds to Palestine Action, which was proscribed in the UK last year.

Torrans recalled Rooney's previous visits to his shop, including when Normal People was published in 2018. The book sold more than one million copies in the UK alone.

Rooney's debut novel, Conversations with Friends, was partly filmed at No Alibis for the BBC adaptation. The book is on a first-year reading list at Queen's University Belfast, located near the shop.