Irvine Welsh

Irvine Welsh was born in Edinburgh, left school when he was sixteen and spent some years in London before returning to Edinburgh where he worked for the city council in the housing department. He went on to study for an MBA at Heriot Watt University. When Trainspotting was published in 1993 Irvine Welsh shot to fame. Despite unease from the critical establishment, Welsh's novel received as many good reviews as ones swathed in disgust and outrage - establishing a tradition that continues to this day. A stage adaptation of the novel was premiered at the Glasgow Mayfest in April 1994 and went on to be staged at the Edinburgh Festival and in London before touring the UK.

In August 1995, Irvine Welsh gave up his day job. Danny Boyle's film adaptation of Trainspotting was released in February 1996. More books have followed, ecstasy becoming the first paperback original to go straight in at No1 on the Sunday Times best-sellers list, a feat emulated by Filth, which became Welsh's highest selling book after Trainspotting. His first novel has now sold almost 1 million copies in the UK alone and is a worldwide phenomenon. Books such as Glue, Porno and recent The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs have seen him increase his profile in America and Canada.

He has branched into film and is a partner in two film production companies. He joined Four Ways films, which was founded by Antonia Bird, Robert Carlyle and Mark Cousins and has set up Jawbone films with his screenwriting partner Dean Cavanagh, and Phil John and Jon Lewis Owen. He lives mainly in Chicago, visiting his home city of Edinburgh regularly, usually to visit friends, family and Hibernian FC at Easter Road.

Tribeca Film