Irvine Welsh

Irvine Welsh is a highly regarded Scottish novelist, best known for his groundbreaking book, Trainspotting. This novel, which was later adapted into a successful film in 1996, brought Welsh into the limelight and established his reputation as a daring and innovative writer. He is particularly well-known for his strong and unflinching portrayals of life in Scotland, which he writes about in his distinctive native dialect.

Welsh's works have a dark and realistic tone, often exploring the grittier side of human nature and drug use. His novels are filled with anti-heroes, small-time crooks, and hooligans, yet he manages to imbue these characters with a sense of humanity that makes them relatable and even likable to readers. Despite the challenging nature of his writing style, which can be difficult for those unfamiliar with the Edinburgh Scots dialect, Welsh's works have been adapted into both films and theatre productions.

In addition to Trainspotting, some of Welsh's other notable works include Ecstasy, Glue, Porno, Filth, Marabou Stork Nightmares, The Acid House, If You Liked School, You’ll Love Work, The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs, and Reheated Cabbage. He currently resides in Chicago, where he continues to write stories and novels that combine dark humor and realism. With his uncompromising and unapologetic style, Welsh has become a respected and influential figure in contemporary literature.
Crime Books
# Title Year
1 Crime 2008
2 The Long Knives 2022
Trainspotting / Mark Renton Books
# Title Year
1 Trainspotting 1993
2 Porno / T2 Trainspotting 2005
3 Skagboys 2012
4 The Blade Artist 2016
5 Dead Men's Trousers 2018
Trainspotting / Mark Renton Series in Chronological Order
# Title Year
1 Skagboys 2012
2 Trainspotting 1993
3 Porno / T2 Trainspotting 2005
4 The Blade Artist 2016
5 Dead Men's Trousers 2018
Terry Lawson Books
# Title Year
1 Glue 2001
2 A Decent Ride 2015
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 Marabou Stork Nightmares 1995
2 Filth 1998
3 You'll Have Had Your Hole 1998
4 The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs 2006
5 Babylon Heights 2006
6 The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins 2014
Short Stories/Novellas
# Title Year
1 Rave 2018
Short Story Collections
# Title Year
1 The Acid House 1994
2 Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance 1996
3 If You Liked School, You'll Love Work 2007
4 Reheated Cabbage 2009
Non-Fiction Books
# Title Year
1 Days Like This 2009
Irvine Welsh Anthologies
# Title Year
1 A Tongue in Yer Heid 1994
2 Ahead of its Time 1997
3 Open City #5: Change or Die 1997
4 Children of Albion Rovers 1997
5 Acid Plaid: New Scottish Writing 1997
6 Intoxication 1998
7 Speaking With the Angel 2000
8 The Weekenders: Travels in the Heart of Africa 2001
9 The Weekenders: Adventures in Calcutta 2004
10 One City 2005
11 British Poetry Magazines 1914-2000: A History and Bibliography of 'Little Magazines' 2006
12 Rotten English: A Literary Anthology 2007
13 Because I am a Girl: Eight Authors, Eight Countries, Eight Unforgettable Stories 2010
14 One for the Trouble: Book Slam Volume 1 2011
15 The Seal Club 2020
16 Scottish Stories 2023