Irvine Welsh: the unofficial site

Irvine Welsh links:

:: Irvine Welsh's official site - irvinewelsh.net
Yep, Welsh has finally succumbed to putting together his own site - lots of unpublished stuff, ruminations on future plans and a thumbs up for irvinewelsh.com too. We like.

:: The Agony And The Ecstasy
Chris Mitchell examines the impact of Trainspotting on the UK drug legalisation debate

:: You'll Have Had Your Theatre
Dr Willy Maley on the theatrical assault of Welsh's new stage play You'll Have Had Your Hole

:: Harry Gibson: Trainspotting The Play
SPIKE's exclusive interview with the director who brought Trainspotting and Marabou Stork Nightmares to the stage

:: Queerspotting
Zoë Strachan drags Welsh's and Alan Warner's writing from out of the closet...

:: Filth
SPIKE's review of Welsh's distinctly off-form novel

:: Ecstasy: Three Chemical Romances
SPIKE's in-depth review of Welsh's short story collection, plus loads of other Welsh-related links

:: Welsh to appear at Aberdeen literary festival
Word Festival, May 13-15, will include readings and discussion sessions with Irvine Welsh, AL Kennedy, Andrew O’Hagan, Colm Toibin, Professor Tom Devine and Jackie Kay [Scotsman]

:: Addict: the new Trainspotting
New film promises to be even darker than Welsh's film in its depiction of Scotland as a drugs nightmare wasteland. Strangely some people are a bit upset [Scotsman]

:: Bad Blood: the (short) movie
Interview with Kyle Leydier, writer/director/producer of the short movie Bad Blood, based on one of the stories from Trainspotting [Ain't It Cool]

:: Irvine Welsh is getting married
Welsh is set to marry his American girlfriend at a star-studded ceremony in Dublin [Scotsman]

:: Leith Walks: see Irvine Welsh's Edinburgh
Tim Bell provides critically acclaimed walking tours of Trainspotting's real life locations [Leith Walks]

:: Tourist tours of Trainspotting's Edinburgh
Among the Leith events highlighted are regular Trainspotting tours devoted to locations featured in Irvine Welsh’s best-selling book [Scotsman]

:: Danny Boyle To Direct "Porno"
"I think it'll be another five years before we make that film but I think we will make it, 'cause I think the idea of looking at those same characters and they're middle-aged is too good to miss." [Salt Lake Tribune]

:: Irvine Welsh admits love for Jane Austen
Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has revealed that Jane Austen's genteel fiction was a major influence on him [BBC]

:: Author calls for action in Sudan
Scots writer Irvine Welsh has called on the government to stop a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Africa [BBC]

:: Author Welsh eyes directing role
Irvine Welsh has written forthcoming comedy Meat Trade
Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh is planning to direct a film when work finishes on his next movie, Meat Trade [BBC]

:: New anthology featuring Welsh reading from Porno
Public House is "an anthology of spoken word, short fiction, poetry, image, and rant forged in The Edinburgh Castle Pub, San Francisco, California." Featuring the likes of Irvine Welsh, Anthony Swofford and Po Bronson amongst others, Public House also comes with a CD of Welsh reading a piece from Porno, a horrifying Begbie scene.

:: Welsh to work on soccer hooligan film
Anger at Welsh's film adaptation of "Soul Crew" book about Cardiff's notorious hooligan element. [BBC News]
Find out more about the Soul Crew book at Amazon.co.uk

:: "When porn sneezes, pop culture catches a cold"
Snappily titled Welsh Q&A plus Porno extract [Nerve]

:: "Irvine Welsh attacks 'middle class' Edinburgh culture
News story on Welsh's comments at Porno book reading [Orange]

:: Porno sounds
Listen to an extract of Porno (requires Realplayer)

:: Irvine Welsh in Porno action
Some candid photos of Welsh's book reading at Bookpeople in Texas

:: Irvine Welsh bibliography
Overview of Welsh's life and writings, along with a bibliography that lists numerous offline magazine interviews, reviews etc [Central Booking]

:: Porno - the official website
Welsh's UK publishers Random House have put together a site to celebrate the publication of Porno, featuring an interview with Welsh, an extract, a competition and more. You'll need Flash to view it.

:: Irvine Welsh discussion forum - Catharton
Catharton is a fabulous author directory, and hosts discussion boards on all their featured writers, Welsh included.

:: If you Like Irvine Welsh, You'll Probably Like This
The beginning of a list of books by other authors that will appeal to Welsh fans. All suggestions for more books to add are welcome - mail me at chris@irvinewelsh.com

:: Hanging With The Scottish Homeboys
A night out with James Kelman, Duncan McLean, and Irvine Welsh [Norton]

:: Would the real Irvine Welsh please shoot up
Trainspotting-era overview of Welsh's life and "authenticity" as a writer [The Observer]

:: 100% Uncut Irvine Welsh on The Acid House
Interview about film adaptation of Welsh's book [IndieWire]

:: Trainspotting film review
Quickie review of the movie [Kamera]

:: Porno - Everybody's Doing It
Sally Vincent interviews Welsh with a whole bunch of middle-class angst baggage in tow. Best interview so far. [The Guardian]

:: Porno - Sick Boy And The Hangover
Lengthy review of Porno [The Observer]

:: Porno - Upwardly Mobile
Lengthy interview with Welsh about Porno and the nightmare of being considered middle class [The Independent]

:: Irvine Welsh: Observer special
Extensive collection of links covering all of The Guardian and Observer's writing about Welsh over the last decade [The Observer]

:: Irvine Welsh interview - Wanderlust magazine
A short Q&A with Welsh in issue 49 of the travellers magazine about his Sudan novella Contamination, available in the anthology The Weekenders. The interview's not available online, but you might want to track it down.

:: The Flowers Of Scotland
Welsh's interesting Guardian review of Arthur Herman's Scottish Enlightenment: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World. You can buy Herman's book on Amazon.co.uk

:: Porno is the sequel to Trainspotting - Guardian
At his recent Edinburgh festival appearance, Irvine Welsh revealed that Porno, his next novel, is actually a sequel to Trainspotting. All the main characters - Sick Boy, Spud, Renton and of course Begbie - return, although Welsh remains shy of giving away the plot in this lengthy interview. You can order Porno from Amazon.co.uk

:: Trainspotting explained
"Trainspotting - A Reader's Guide" from the Continuum Contemporaries guidebook series is now out - it's a short and very readable book which not only gives an intelligent overview of the novel's main themes, but also offers a bullshit-free biography of Welsh and a fascinating history of Trainspotting's impact - as book, film, soundtrack and play - on British culture. You can order "Trainspotting - A Reader's Guide" from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

:: Irvine Welsh overview - Guardian
Summary of Welsh's career and links to Guardian related articles

:: Glue - audio extract - Salon magazine
Hear Welsh read a passage in which Juice Terry is working as a window cleaner and enters the hotel room of a famous American singer to eat her club sandwich.

:: Session Obsession - Radio One
Hear Welsh discuss the records that made him the man he is with DJ Steve Lamacq (requires RealPlayer)

:: The House That Welsh Built - Papermag
Filth-era interview with Welsh

:: Irvine Welsh Q & A - Salon magazine
Christopher Kemp shoots some questions at Welsh during his US sojourn.

:: The Irvine Welsh Hole
Upcoming fan site that lists the dates of Welsh's current US tour (running between June 4th and June 18th) among other useful stuff.

:: "I am still a petulant brat" - This Is London
Intelligent, interesting look at where Welsh is now with the publication of Glue

:: Glue review - The Guardian
A typical Guardian review reeking with repulsion for Welsh's prose.

:: Glue: first chapter - The Guardian
If you haven't bought it already, you can read Glue's beginning online.

:: Official Glue website
Welsh's publishers Random House have put together a website dedicated to Glue

:: Special edition of Glue to be published
Amazon are now listing a special edition of Glue which costs a hefty £75. No details as yet about what you get for your money...

:: 4 Play - the anthology of Welsh stage adaptations
4 Play, a Vintage paperback original of the stage adaptations of Trainspotting, Marabou Stork Nightmares, Ecstasy and Filth by Harry Gibson is out now.

:: New Irvine Welsh short story in "Speaking With The Angel"
- A previously unpublished Welsh story - "Catholic Guilt (You Know You Love It)" - is available in the Nick Hornby edited anthology, "Speaking With The Angel", out now. £1 from each book sold goes to help autistic children, apparently. You can buy Speaking With The Angel online from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

:: New Irvine Welsh short story in "Vox'n'Roll"
A previously unpublished Welsh story is available in the Serpent's Tail compilation Vox'n'Roll, out now. You can buy Vox'n'Roll from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

:: Canongate Books
Independent Scottish publisher's excellent recently relaunched site, including the Rebel Inc imprint

:: Brett's Acid House
Welsh site with brief biography, bibliography, movie overviews and links

:: Irvine Welsh meets Damon Albarn
- Lengthy article about Welsh encountering the pretty boy from top pop band Blur

:: Headstate: the play - Williamette Week
"overstated and obvious, suffering, like Ecstasy, from a bad dose of sameness" reckons this review

:: Irvine Welsh - Curator Of The Streets
Flak Magazine has an in-depth interview circa Glue

:: Glue: Powells interview
US online bookstore has a lengthy chat with Welsh

:: Irvine Welsh - IMDB entry
Check Welsh's movie credits as writer and actor at the Internet Movie Database

:: A Fault On The Line - An Irvine Welsh short story
The Barcelona Review's exclusive online publication of this rare Welsh short story

:: The Acid House: Zeitgeist Films
Official site for the movie adaptation of Welsh's collection of short stories

:: Trainspotting author makes film to promote new Gene EP
NME quickie on Welsh's involvement with Gene

:: Filth: Police seize "offensive" pig posters
BBC report on the police outrage caused by the promo campaign for Filth (August 13th 1998)

:: Filth: the first chapter
Random House puts the first chapter of Filth online for all to read

:: Filth: Time interview
Quick Q&A with Time magazine

:: Ecstasy: Between The Lines
Australian review of Ecstasy

:: Ecstasy: HotWired
A favourable review of Ecstasy

:: Trainspotting: The film's makers interviewed
Richmond Review meets Trainspotting director Danny Boyle and his team

:: Books