Herion, Punk Rock, and the Trainspotting Origin Story- #155 Irvine Welsh | Creator

Finding Founders

This author holds the title for having written the most shoplifted novel in British publishing history. Meet Irvine Welsh, the author of the critically acclaimed novel “Trainspotting”. Famous for his harrowing depictions of heroin addicts and imbuing them with humanity, it may be no surprise that Welsh had a similar tract in life to his characters with a troubled childhood– one that caused him to move constantly throughout different places, having difficulty feeling permanent security and a sense of belonging wherever he went. But thinking back to his childhood hometown, Welsh dwelled on the high drug usage and HIV rates which left Leith in decline and wrote his first novel as a thoughtful (and sobering) response. The book was an instant success, earning a cult following with those who recognized the harshness as a part of life while incurring mixed reactions from critics who did not. Despite the polarized reviews, Irvine has continued to write with ferocity since his first publication: publishing books, movies, and short story collections such as The Acid House, Filth, Porno, Glue, Skagboys, etc to shed light on the underrepresented side of fictional literature– the one most people are afraid to tell.

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