Welsh, Irvine. (b. 1958).

W o r k

- preoccupied with Scottish identity, Scottish prejudice, and Scottish axiom

- uses phonetic transcription of his native Edinburgh Scots dialect, also experiments with typography

- his novels share a number of characters and settings, give the impression of a shared universe within his writing

- focuses on working class: analyses the rise and fall of council housing scheme, denial of opportunity, class divisions, emigration, low-paid work, Irish republicanism, sectarianism, football and hooliganism, sex, suppressed homosexuality, etc.

Trainspotting (1993):

- a series of loosely connected stories of characters tied together by decaying friendships, heroin addiction, and attempts to escape the oppressive boredom of their lives

The Acid House (1994):

- a collection of short stories using the setting and some of the themes of his first novel

- the title story deals with the minds of a baby and a drug addict who swap bodies

Filth (1998):

- features a brutally vicious sociopathic police officer and his tapeworm inverted into a sympathetic character

- includes typographic experiments presenting the tapeworm's thoughts

Glue (2001):

- a return to the locations, themes, and episodic form of Trainspotting

- the stories of four Scottish boys spanning over four decades and the bonds that hold them together (as glue)

Porno (2002):

- a sequel to Trainspotting

- explores the impact of pornography on the individuals involved in producing it and on society as a whole

- examines the impact of ageing and maturity in individuals against their will