Communion: An Observer Best Debut Novel of 2026 - Hardcover

Doyle, Jon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1805465139 ISBN 13: 9781805465133

Publisher: Atlantic Books, 2026

Synopsis

'Marks the arrival of an explosive new talent' Observer
'Rich and involving and emotionally charged' Guardian
'An immaculate debut with dirt under its fingernails' Colin Walsh, author of Kala

Just so we're clear, she said, I know the rules of confession. What I say cannot be repeated. Not to anyone...

When Mack O'Brien left his home in Port Talbot for the seminary as a teenager, he didn't imagine he'd be back a decade later, unordained and still at a loss as to what makes for a moral life. He takes a job as a security guard at the local steelworks and begins an uneasy transition into the world he once rejected. When the men of the steelworks organise an unprecedented strike in protest against job cuts, he sees no reason not to go along with it.

The last person Mack expects to see in the local club is Siwan Roderick - the woman who appeared out of the blue at the seminary one day to make a confession and swear him to secrecy. Mack kept his word. But as the day of the strike nears, and as he begins to fully understand what Siwan is planning, Mack is forced to reckon with his loyalty to her and the question of whether an act of violence can ever be justified.

'A rare novel ... This is poignant, resounding writing'
Cynan Jones, author of Pulse

'Each paragraph arrives like a short, beautiful breath'
Andrew McMillan, author of Pity

'Electric'
Kasim Ali, author of Good Intentions

About this title

About the Author

Jon Doyle is a writer based in Port Talbot, South Wales. He was part of Literature Wales' Representing Wales scheme in 2022/23, and won the Writers & Artists Working-Class Writers' Prize 2023. He holds a BSc and MRes in Zoology, an MA in Creative Writing from Cardiff University, and a PhD in Creative Writing from Swansea University. His work has appeared in Short Fiction, Hobart, Ploughshares Online, The Rumpus, 3:AM Magazine, Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction among other places. Communion is his first novel.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1805465139
• ISBN 13: 9781805465133
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288