books feature
Irvine Welsh
Amy Dowd chats to Irvine Welsh about his appearance at the Book Festival next week and his stance on youth culture today
TW : You’re speaking and reading from your new book ‘Crime’ next Thursday; are you looking forward to it?
IW : ’m a regular at the Book Festival so it’s always really nice to come back to Edinburgh and speak in my hometown.
TW : Amongst other things, ‘Crime’ tells the story of Lennox, who finds himself protecting a ten year old girl from an organised pedophile gang. You stopped writing ‘Crime’ when the Madeleine McCann case hit the news. Why was that?
IW : I stopped writing because I just found it too difficult to continue due to the real terror in the voice of society. I had to really re-evaluate exactly why I was writing this particular story.
TW : A stage adaptation of ‘Ecstasy’ at the Fringe got some great 5-star reviews. Did you get to see it? How does it make you feel having your work performed on stage again?”
IW : Unfortunately I’ve not got to see it, which is a real shame. I’ve just been so busy recently – I’ve been down in south Wales doing a film for ITV – it’s a really busy time, but yeah, it’s always exciting to know your work is being performed.
TW : Do you have a preference between working on novels, plays or in film?
IW : Not really, I’m used to being involved in it all but I’m moving more into directing and producing now.
TW : What kind of things did you enjoy reading when you were younger? which authors were inspirational to you?
IW : I read a lot of the Scottish and Russian writers growing up. I loved George Orwell, Jane Austen and JD Salinger as well.
TW : Do you have a particular stance on youth culture today? any ideas of how to prevent the current surge in knife crime?
IW : I think it all gets talked about too much. The hysteria surrounding knife crime is generated by the media and that’s only encouraging it. A lot of young kids are living in fear; are victims without realising it. Their childhoods have been taken away from them, and I think instead of commodifying it, we need to let kids relax and breathe a bit. It’s very tough to grow up in the society that we live in today.
TW : How do you feel about the Festival taking over Edinburgh in August? Are you a proper local that hates the invasion of tourists or do you embrace it?
IW : A bit of both I think. It’s a pain in the arse when you can’t get a taxi but then again it means that there are some really cool bars and venue bars that stay open much later during the Festival, which is always good.
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Irvine Welsh spoke at the Edinburgh Book Festival.
published: Oct-2008
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