Irvine Welsh Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Irvine Welsh Biography

Irvine Welsh was born in the great city of Edinburgh, Scotland. His family moved from their tenement home in Leith, to the prefabs in West Pilton, and then onto Muirhouse's maisonette flats.

Welsh left Ainslie Park Secondary School when he was sixteen and had various jobs but did not really like work any more than he did school. Welsh eventually returned to Edinburgh where he worked for the city council in the housing department. He went on to study for an MBA at Heriot Watt University.

In Edinburgh, Welsh started to write. Digging out some old diaries, Welsh did a draft of what would become Trainspotting. Welsh published parts of this from 1991 onwards in DOG, the West Coast Magazine, and New Writing Scotland.

When Trainspotting was published in 1993, Welsh shot to fame. Despite some unease from the critical establishment, Welsh's novel received as many good reviews as ones swathed in disgust and outrage.

Since Danny Boyle's film adaptation of Trainspotting was released in February 1996, Welsh has remained a controversial figure.

More books have followed, Ecstasy becoming the first paperback original to go straight in at number one on the Sunday Times best-sellers list, a feat emulated by Filth, which became Welsh's highest selling book after Trainspotting. His first novel has now sold almost 1 million copies in the UK alone and is a worldwide phenomenon. Books such as Glue, Porno, and recent The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs have increased his profile in America and Canada.

He has recently branched into film and is a partner in two film production companies.

In 2005 Welsh married for the second time. He lives mainly in Dublin but retreats to Miami Beach for a large part of the winter. He visits his home city of Edinburgh regularly.

Irvine Welsh's website

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