Renowned for his hard-edged novels, full of reality and vibrant characters, Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting, Porno) entertained a capacity audience last night at the Charleston Festival, and we were fascinated by everything he had to share.
Welsh has had quite the career. In his late twenties, he began writing his first novel, Trainspotting, creating memorable characters and exploring their lives in the underbelly of Leith, Edinburgh. Looking back, the book now seems to epitomise the 1990s, with the film heralded as one of the era’s most influential and positioned alongside the Britpop explosion. Welsh has revisited these characters several times, developing their lives and stories to give them real depth, and this event celebrated his latest project, ‘Men In Love’, which again explores the themes of the original novel.
Welsh had a real presence on stage, taking the well-crafted questions and providing responses that not only made his point but left us thinking about our own thoughts. This novel explores the decisions people make in their late twenties, a time so different yet adjacent to their more hedonistic early twenties, when we start to think about relationships, careers, and lifelong commitments. It revisits Renton, Spud and his friends and considers what it must be like to go through this process against a background of addiction and chaos. Welsh eloquently discussed this, referencing not only the storyline but his own experiences.
It is always interesting to hear a writer talk about their process, and Welsh’s description of how he approaches plot and character development was particularly insightful. His roots in music were explored, now being developed to turn the Trainspotting concept into a musical with original songs that he has contributed to, and he also talked about how he has incorporated other passions into his writing. We really enjoyed the interviewer’s questions about how writing has shaped his own life, and hearing Welsh’s views on the need for connectivity in modern society, particularly as we grow bored with the capabilities of online platforms and seek new ways to share and create art.
The Charleston Festival, now in its 37th year, has put on a tremendous programme of events, with many celebrities giving talks on their writing and other art forms. The grounds for the event looked wonderful in the sunshine last night, with spaces to sit, read, and reflect, and some very creative ways of using the space. The large tented room gave everyone there a chance to sit and take in the wise words Welsh was providing, and the Q&A session gave some particularly personal insights.
With just a few days left of the Charleston Festival, there is still time to visit and take in an event.
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