It is the last weekend of the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the high quality and diverse range of events continues. If there is one writer who is guaranteed to entertain a sell-out Edinburgh crowd then it is Irvine Welsh. He is celebrating the release of his latest novel The Blade Artist. Here readers are delighted to learn more about the exploits of one of Welsh’s best loved characters, Francis Begbie.
The event is chaired by political editor for the BBC Brian Taylor. With Welsh being such an affable and entertaining guest the host doesn’t have too much to do over the hour, except sit back, relax and watch the author hold court. We begin by hearing Welsh read an abstract from the book. We are told that this is the most violent section in the novel, but there are many to choose from. Anyone who has seen Irvine Welsh read in the past will know what he is capable off. There is an element of theatre as he embodies the characters and expresses their intensity. With Francis Begbie the intensity is turned up to 11 and the reading is welcomed with a round of applause.
After the reading Welsh fields questions from the audience. The topics include writing, America, football and Leith. The author also gets asked about the Trainspotting film sequel and if he can give any details on the casting. The author remains tight lipped, but does let slip that he has recorded a cameo which will hopefully make the cut when the movie is released in January next year. We also get further insight into the movie industry when Welsh tells us about living in America and how he finds himself in Los Angeles working as a script doctor. Scotland and more precisely Leith, still very much feels home for the writer and even though he publishes novels located in the States, it’s always from a Scottish perspective. In no time the hour is over and the audience is left wanting more. With The Blade Artist Irvine Welsh has written another thrilling novel with engaging and compelling characters that people can relate to, despite their tendency towards violent behaviour.