Person

Irvine Welsh

b. 1958

Scottish writer

Born
27 Sept 1958 · Leith

Life timeline

Their life from birth to death. On the timeline, world events of the time are shown faintly.

Showing 78 years
  1. 27 Sept 1958BornBorn in Leith

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Meanwhile in the world

Major world events during their lifetime (1958 – today).

  1. 19581958 FIFA World Cup
  2. 1959Antarctic Treaty System
  3. 19621962 FIFA World Cup
  4. 1962Cuban Missile Crisis
  5. 19661966 FIFA World Cup
  6. 1966 – 1976Cultural Revolution
  7. 1968Prague Spring
  8. 1969Apollo 11 Moon landing
  9. 19721972 Summer Olympics
  10. 19741974 FIFA World Cup
  11. 19781978 FIFA World Cup
  12. 1978 – 1979Iranian Revolution
  13. 1979 – 1989Soviet–Afghan War
  14. 1980 – 1988Iran–Iraq War
  15. 19841984 Summer Olympics
  16. 1985Schengen Agreement
  17. 19891989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
  18. 1989Fall of the Berlin Wall
  19. 19901990 FIFA World Cup
  20. 1991Dissolution of the Soviet Union
  21. 19941994 FIFA World Cup
  22. 1994 – 1996First Chechen War
  23. 19981998 FIFA World Cup
  24. 2001 – 2021War in Afghanistan
  25. 2003 – 2011Iraq War
  26. 20042004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
  27. 20062006 FIFA World Cup
  28. 20082008 Summer Olympics
  29. 2008Russo-Georgian War
  30. 20102010 Haiti earthquake
  31. 2010 – 2012Arab Spring
  32. 20112011 Norway attacks
  33. 2011Libyan civil war
  34. 2011 – 2024Syrian civil war
  35. 20122012 Summer Olympics
  36. 20142014 FIFA World Cup
  37. 2014Russo-Ukrainian war
  38. 2015Paris Agreement
  39. 20182018 FIFA World Cup
  40. 2020COVID-19 pandemic

Biography

Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and filmmaker. His novels and short stories, which almost always take place in his native Scotland, are known for their gritty depictions of working-class life and its intricacies; particularly drug addiction, social alienation, lack of opportunity and boredom, amongst others.

Welsh is best known for his 1993 debut novel Trainspotting, which was adapted into a film of the same name; both were highly acclaimed and have become cult classics in their respective mediums. The novel was ranked 7th in a 2016 public poll of the best Scottish novels of all time, while its film adaptation was named the best Scottish film of all time in an equivalent 2004 poll.

In addition to his novels, Welsh has written plays and screenplays, and directed several short films. As of 2025, his written works have sold six million copies worldwide.

Text from the Wikipedia article Irvine Welsh, CC BY-SA 4.0

About this information

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