About
Irvine Welsh is a Scottish writer born in Leith, Edinburgh, in 1958. He grew up in the Muirhouse estate and left school at 16 to train as an electrician. After earning a computer science degree and an MBA, he worked for Edinburgh City Council before turning to writing full-time in 1995. His debut novel, Trainspotting (1993), written in Edinburgh Scots dialect, achieved international success and was adapted into a landmark film by Danny Boyle. Welsh has published numerous other novels, including Filth and Porno, and has explored themes such as drug addiction, poverty, and masculinity. He has also written plays and screenplays.
* 1958-09-27
Major works
- Trainspotting (1993)novel
- The Acid House (1994)short story collection
- Marabou Stork Nightmares (1995)novel
- Filth (1998)novel
- Porno (2002)novel
Key milestones
- 1993Publication of his debut novel, Trainspotting, which was adapted into a film in 1996.
- 1995Quits his job at Edinburgh City Council to write full-time.
- 2012Publication of Skagboys, a prequel to Trainspotting.
Themes
working-class identitydrug subculturepovertymasculinitysectarianism
Sources: literature.britishcouncil.org · bbc.co.uk