'The first job of a writer: Be honest'

 

“Ithink young writers should get other degrees first, social sciences, artsdegrees or even business degrees. What you learn is research skills, anecessity because a lot of writing is about trying to find information.”– Irvine Welsh

Born in Scotland in September(“Sometime in the 1950s”), Welsh is perhaps best known for his novel Trainspotting,also made into a critically acclaimed film.   His work often depicts thehardscrabble life of his native home of Edinburgh, where he grew up the son ofa dockworker and waitress.

 

After dropping out of high school,he tried his luck at a variety of jobs before getting into the London musicscene, where for a time he thought his success might rest with writingsongs.  But it was while telling some ofthe tales of his childhood and his upbringing that he was encouraged to startwriting down the stories that led to Trainspotting.  

 

Despite being lambasted by some as“too mean,” it became an almost instant success and started him on his writingpath.  He has now authored 14 novels –the most recent being this year’s Resolution–  plus half-a-dozen books of short storiesand many plays and screenplays.

 

“The first job of a writer is tobe honest," Welsh said. "Writing is about culture and should be about everything. That's what makes it what it is.”

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