“I go to the gym and work through a routine. But if you see someone with a personal trainer, you know they do 10 times more than you do. You give up your sense of identity. If you watch 'The Biggest Loser,' you see people give up their identity to become something else.”

Scottish novelist and playwright of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Welsh is best known for his sharp, unflinching depictions of working-class life in Glasgow. His debut novel, *Trainspotting*, became a defining work of contemporary British literature, blending dark humor with raw social commentary. His later works, including *Filth* and *The Acid House*, continue to explore similar themes with equal intensity.