Irvine Welsh Interview: My Books are About Transition
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- Опубліковано 14 січ 2019
- The novels of Irvine Welsh, such as the chart-topping ‘Trainspotting’, have resonated for so long because they are about transition. The characters are adjusting to a different way of life and face “post-industrial adjustment,” reacting to “the emotional and physical redundancy,” says the Scottish author in this extensive video about his writing.
Welsh grew up in a working-class family, surrounded by storytellers, everyone performing the “the most incredible and outlandish, and hilarious and funniest stories.” This, he feels, is what formed him as a writer. His two passions were sports and arts, which were difficult to combine: “You weren’t really allowed to do both. I kept on getting into trouble because I wouldn’t focus on one thing or the other. I had two different sets of friends.” Welsh had a period of heroin abuse, and as there wasn't’ any apparent psychological reason behind it, it was primarily the physical side he had to deal with when quitting. The novel ‘Trainspotting’ was a way for him to figure out how he got into that place of abuse and was primarily based on his journals from that time. However, he was very aware of the necessity of getting “past yourself” when writing and so constructed different characters, which he “put together in a room and let them tell the stories.” The Scottish author finds it interesting how the success of something, such as ‘Trainspotting’, alters people’s perception of it - and of you: “You go from being this kind of junky loser, that’s written this memoir, into this massively talented person. Neither of these things is true, but life is very perceptual in that way.”
Irvine Welsh (b.1958) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer and screen- and playwright, who has been dubbed ‘the poet laureate of the chemical generation’. Welsh, whose work is characterized by a raw Scots dialect and brutal depictions of Edinburgh life, shot to fame with the publication of ‘Trainspotting’ in 1993 - the book became a worldwide phenomenon and has sold almost 1 million copies in the UK alone. Welsh is the author of several novels and short-story collections including ‘The Acid House’ (1994), ‘Marabou Stork Nightmares’ (1995), ‘Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance’ (1996) - which became the first paperback original to go straight at No1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list -, ‘Filth’ (1998), ‘Glue’ (2001), ‘Porno’ (2002), ‘The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs’ (2006), ‘Skagboys’ (2012), ‘The Blade Artist’ (2016) and ‘Dead Men’s Trousers’ (2018). Several of his novels have been adapted into plays and films. Welsh, who also occasionally works as a DJ, currently lives in Dublin and Miami. For more see: www.irvinewelsh.net/
Irvine Welsh was interviewed by Christian Lund in October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Camera: Miguel de Zuviría & Nicanor Montes
Sound: Tomás Guiñazú
Edited by: Klaus Elmer
Produced by: Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2019
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really an underrated writer. i hope people include his writings more and more in post modern literature curriculum.
Love his work. Marabou Stork Nightmares is one of the most disturbing novels ever written and really warped my mind when I read it as a teenager. Glue is definitely my favorite though. Those characters are amazing.
Underrated writer
Absolute legend
This is fantastic - could listen to him speak for hours. Rediscovered my love for reading through his work. A true talent.
Welsh is without a doubt my favourite author,I get stuck in some of those audiobooks for months
When Irvine talks about his issue I totally understand.
I really enjoyed and learned from this interview. Thank you!
Same with my family all Glaswegians. I've got this heavy drinking Hun Glaswegian uncle and even at home he has to stand up when telling a story or making an important point, he just takes the floor kinda thing and its an extraordinary oratory skill to take the floor and insist people engage with your story.
His mum: You shouldn't be washing your dirty laundry in public.
His dad died before it came out.
Maribou Stork nightmares: Probably my best book.
The fun is in writing.
The best interview of a writer I have seen.
Love your honesty mate
The greatest living Scot.
Charlie Adam
The Beatles knocked out loads of albums in a few years. Also, time has depth as well as chronological value. Iain w Glasgow
Read all of his novels, but my favourite is definitely Filth. There's a story of a guy completely unravelling which is very moving, but mainly it has bits about the gratuitous consumption of sausage rolls, which is hilarious.
There needs to be some good video essays about this guy's writing.
Irvines looking well.
REGARDS
I don't know how he doesn't know it - but that nasal metallic voice that junkies get isn't just cultural. I know people that only get that voice when they're back on gear, and they're not doing with friends. It's some kind of physical manifestation of the drug, or maybe of just smoking it.
SHITEINMEMOOTH
10 17
Arn't the greatest writers the greatest Bullshiters too.