Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh is star guest at Malta Book Festival

World-renowned writer Irvine Welsh will be the National Book Council's international guest at the 2021 Malta Book Festival.

Welsh's claim to fame was his 1993 novel Trainspotting, which received as many positive reviews as it did negative ones. He was further propelled into fame after his novel was adapted into a film by director Danny Boyle - a film that has now become a cult classic.

After Trainspotting, Welsh continued to write and publish prolifically, albeit remaining a controversial figure in the literary world. His other novels include Marabou Stork Nightmares, Filth, Glue, and The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs, among others.

More recently, he has branched into film and is a partner in two film production companies.

During the Malta Book Festival, Welsh will be participating in two events. In one of them he will be interviewed by writer and playwright Wayne Flask on his life and works. The event will be followed by a book signing session.

Then Welsh will be joined by poet and novelist Immanuel Mifsud in a conversation about the influence of Welsh on Maltese literature. The event will be moderated by former Minima Publishers founder Mark Vella, who published the early works of local authors such as Mifsud, Ġużè Stagno and Karl Schembri in the early 2000s.