WRITER · BORN 1958
Irvine Welsh
- Born
- 27 September 1958, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Known for
- Trainspotting (1996), T2 Trainspotting (2017), The Acid House (1998), Swung (2015)
30 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
24 Interesting Facts About Irvine Welsh
- #001
Welsh promised that if any producer proved brave enough to take on the filming of Filth (2013), he would get a tattoo of a pig dressed as a policeman on the book's cover. Filth took 15 years to make, and halfway through shooting Welsh proved true to his word and had the pig tattooed on his arm.
- #002
He did not begin writing until his early thirties.
- #003
He is a great admirer of Hubert Selby Jr. and believes that Selby's book Last Exit to Brooklyn influenced his literary style regarding his surroundings.
- #004
He is a big fan of Iggy Pop.
- #005
He completed the writing of Skagboys, the prequel to Trainspotting and Porno.
- #006
My Chemical Romance took the band's name from the title of his short story collection Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.
- #007
Some of his books were banned in many countries, notably Russia and Greece, and Senator Bob Dole criticized Trainspotting during his vice-presidential campaign. In the English cities of York and Southampton, police raided High Street bookshops to remove giant posters advertising copies of Filth that featured a pig's head and were considered offensive by police officials.
- #011
In his youth he had many run-ins with the law, from a series of arrests for petty crimes to a finally suspended sentence for demolishing a community centre in North London, which inspired him to mend his ways.
- #012
He is a supporter of the Hibernian Football Club in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- #013
He appeared in the films of his own books Trainspotting and The Acid House.
- #014
He is a partner in the British film production company 4 Ways, alongside Antonia Bird, Robert Carlyle and Mark Cousins.
- #015
He is a big fan of house music and features it prominently in his novels.
- #016
He began writing through music, finding song ideas that turned into short stories.
- #017
He does readings of his work around the world and became caught up in controversy while attending a reading in Australia.
- #018
He has lived mainly in London and Edinburgh, later lived in Amsterdam, San Francisco and Dublin, and now lives in Chicago and Miami Beach.
- #019
He holds an MBA and is a marathon runner.
- #020
He greatly loves the works of Jane Austen and George Eliot.
- #021
Before he began writing, Irvine Welsh worked as a property developer.
- #022
Irvine Welsh's wife, Elizabeth, is from Chicago.
- #025
He initially considered becoming a TV repairman before he received an electric shock from a socket.
- #026
Irvine Welsh spends most of his time between Edinburgh and London.
- #027
While living in Dublin, Ireland, Irvine Welsh regularly attended Bohemian FC matches.
- #029
Irvine Welsh has lived in Miami, Florida since 2018.
- #030
Irvine Welsh lives and works in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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