“When I started off with Trainspotting, it was the way the characters came to me. That's how they sounded to me. It seemed pretentious to sound any other way. I wasn't making any kind of political statement.”

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.