Irvine Welsh, the mind behind Trainspotting and Filth, will be the international guest for the 2021 Malta Book Festival.

The Scottish writer shot to fame after Trainspotting, a brutal depiction of drug use and Edinburgh life, was published in 1993, with its film adaptation capturing the imagination of the globe. 

Following Trainspotting, he continued to write and publish prolifically, remaining a controversial figure whose novels, stage and screenplays, novellas and short stories have proved difficult for literary critics to assimilate 

Welsh’s novels include Marabou Stork Nightmares (1995), Filth (1998), Glue (2001), The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs (2006), Crime (2008), The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins (2014), A Decent Ride (2015) as well as the Mark Renton series following the characters of Trainspotting, including the sequel Porno (2002) and the prequel Skagboys (2012).

During the Malta Book Festival Welsh will be participating in two events. In one of them, he will be interviewed on his life and works by writer, playwright and former music journalist Wayne Flask, the author of Kapitali (2017). The event will be followed by a book signing session.

Welsh will then join poet and novelist Immanuel Mifsud in a conversation about the influence of Welsh on Maltese literature. The event will be moderated by former Minima Publishers founder Mark Vella, who published the early works of local authors such as Mifsud, Ġużè Stagno and Karl Schembri in the early 2000s.