Irvine Welsh

Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and filmmaker. His novels and short stories, which almost always take place in his native Scotland, are known for their gritty depictions of working-class life and its intricacies; particularly drug addiction, social alienation, lack of opportunity and boredom, amongst others.

He is best known for his 1993 debut novel Trainspotting, which was adapted into a film of the same name; both were highly acclaimed and have become cult classics in their respective mediums. The novel was ranked 7th in a 2016 public poll of the best Scottish novels of all time, while its film adaptation was named the best Scottish film of all time in an equivalent 2004 poll.

In addition to his novels, Welsh has written plays and screenplays and directed several short films. As of 2025, his written works have sold 6 million copies worldwide.

Books in order of publication:

Novels

Marabou Stork Nightmares (1995)

The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs (2006)

Kingdom of Fife (2007)

The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins (2014)

Trainspotting series

Trainspotting (1993)

Porno (2002)

Skagboys (2012)

The Blade Artist (2016)

Dead Men’s Trousers (2018)

Men In Love (2025)

Ray Lennox series

Filth (1998)

Crime (2008)

The Long Knives (2022)

Resolution (2024)

Terry Lawson series

Glue (2001)

A Decent Ride (2015)

Short story collections

The Acid House (1994)

Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance (1996)

If You Liked School You’ll Love Work (2007)

Reheated Cabbage (2009)

The Seal Club (2020 co-written with Alan Warner and John King)

Seal Club 2: The View From Poacher’s Hill (2023 co-written with Alan Warner and John King)