Irvine Welsh (GBR)
Novelist
A Scottish novelist and short story writer, now the author of fourteen novels, including the forthcoming Resolution, the third in the hit TV Crime series, and four books of shorter fiction, Irvine Welsh enjoys a dedicated global readership and tweets prolifically, mainly about tennis and corrupt politicians.
Irvine was born in the great city of Edinburgh and matured in the housing schemes of Leith, West Pilton and Muirhouse. Neither school nor conventional employment appealed, but he was inspired to write after experiencing the explosions of Punk and Rave first hand.
Trainspotting, his debut novel, was rejected from the Man Booker Prize shortlist, allegedly for offending the judges. It went on to sell over a million copies in the UK alone and was adapted into an iconic film by Danny Boyle in 1996. Porno was adapted into T2: Trainspotting, a sequel that reunited the original cast and crew. The much-loved antiheroes of Trainspotting inhabit a fictional universe based on Welsh's experience of an inner-city Scotland blighted by Thatcherism and drug abuse. This universe has often been revisited in novels including Skagboys, The Blade Artist and A Decent Ride.
Irvine Welsh serves as the Official Ambassador of the Homeless World Cup and works with local, national and international charities. He currently lives between Edinburgh, London and Miami. He has been involved in dance music for most of his life, as a DJ and promoter and is a partner, with Carl Loben and Steve Mac, in the Brighton-based record label Jack Said What.
World in tension
17. 7. 2024 15:30 - 16:30
Unpredictability is a constant in our world. Yet, on closer inspection, we might see certain patterns that seem to determine the course of events. While artificial intelligence is gradually changing the way we live, we are no longer recognizing what is a real threat and what is just fear of the unknown. Why do the world's current crises and conflicts seem unusually synchronised? What is happening to our civilization without us paying attention?
Trainspotting & character in a digital landscape
18. 7. 2024 12:15 - 13:15
It is possible to purchase a seat reservation for this performance.
Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the publication of the now iconic book Trainspotting, which has attracted a fair amount of media interest. But the world in which the book's characters lived is mostly gone. Rather than reflecting and reminiscing, the author Irvine Welsh is interested in the world's current challenges and visions, the transformation of social structures, the relation between culture and technology and, last but not least, artificial intelligence and its impact on education, employment, creativity and everyday life.