Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie – names that, for those of us who were paying any attention to life in the 1990s, are immediately family. They bounced out from the cinema screen and also from Irvine Welsh’s groundbreaking novel ‘Trainspotting’, which brought new rhythms and realities onto the page and into our lives.
But where are these characters now? In ‘Men in Love’, Welsh returns to ‘Trainspotting’’s characters to explore what happens when youth, excess and rebellion give way to intimacy, responsibility and emotional risk. Set against late-80s rave culture, the lives of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie shift focus as Welsh asks what love looks like for men shaped by friendship, addiction and social expectation.
This year’s Charleston Festival will feature a fascinating talk from Irvine Welsh, in conversation with Miranda Sawyer, as he reflects on masculinity, vulnerability and the limits of bravado. Now in its 37th year, this festival continues to bring in amazing names with important perspectives on life and literature, and this year’s programme features many fascinating names.
Men In Love will be held at 5.00 pm on Saturday, 23rd May at Charleston Farmhouse, with tickets from £10.
Tickets are available from the Charleston Festival website.
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