The Port Talbot writer following in the footsteps of Sally Rooney

The Port Talbot writer following in the footsteps of Sally Rooney15 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGareth BryerBBC WalesBBCJon Doyle comes from a long line of steelworkersWhen Jon Doyle got a text from his publisher out of the blue, he assumed his debut book was about to be dropped.But it turned out his novel, Communion, which is set in Doyle's hometown of Port Talbot, had just been included on a list that's previously celebrated Normal People author Sally Rooney and Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart.Doyle, who still lives in the family home in Taibach, "punched the air" in disbelief when he found out and said it felt like a "small victory".Despite an impressive list of actors hailing from the town - Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen - Doyle, 37, said it took a long time to realise his home could rival cities like New York or London as a setting for the kind of books he wanted to write.Port Talbot's history looms large in Jon's book"I'm Port Talbot born and bred," said Doyle."My great-grandfather was a steelworker, my grandfather was a steelworker, and then basically all my uncles from the next generation down were in the steelworks as well."Communion's plot follows the return of an unnamed Hollywood star to Port Talbot to stage a community play which takes over the entire town over one weekend.It's a nod to Michael Sheen's production The Passion of Port Talbot in 2011, which brought global attention to the town.The book was written against the backdrop of a difficult time for the town.In October 2024, Tata Steel's last blast furnace was switched off, with the aim of building a new electric arc furnace by the end of 2027. Though the new process will be greener, a fraction of the staff will be needed, with a loss of more than 2,000 jobs. Getty ImagesJon's family home sits in the shadow of the steelworksIn Communion, Doyle has combined those events w...