Irvine Welsh

Novelist, screenwriter, DJ, punk and record label owner Irvine Welsh occupies a unique place in contemporary culture. His iconoclastic debut novel Trainspotting, and its 1996 film adaptation, captured a zeitgeist with one of the key ingredients being its outstanding soundtrack. As final preparations are made for the release of Trainspotting – The Musical (yes, you read that correctly!) later this year, Irvine Welsh sits down for a chat with Stephen McCauley about books, music, TV, film, catharsis, and the sheer joy of writing.