🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Irvine Welsh
Taking a look at the operations of the Edinburgh police squad this time, Irvine Welsh examines the corruption and degradation he finds prevalent throughout with his usual blackly comic take for this 1998 novel. Recently made into a film in 2013 directed by Jon S. Baird, it’s also had the big-screen treatment as with many other works from Welsh prior to this. Based upon the career ambitions of one Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson, it takes a look at his attempts to climb the ranks of the police department by any means necessary. A habitual cocaine user and generally misanthropic character, he seems to be uncaring as to the needs of others, whilst indulging himself in all manner of vice, whether it be sex, drugs or power games.
All Book Series by Irvine Welsh
One for the Trouble: Book Slam Volume 1
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2011 Co-authored · Simon Armitage,Patrick Ness,Jon Ronson,William Boyd,Hari Kunzru,Joe Dunthorne,Bernardine Evaristo,Helen Oyeyemi,Richard Milward,Roger Robinson,Paul Murray,Don Paterson,Patrick Neate,Jon McGregor,Sophie Woolley,Luke Wright,Tim Key,Kae Tempest
Too Much Too Young
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2012 Anthology · David Nicholls,Jeremy Dyson,Jackie Kay,Nikesh Shukla,Patrick Neate,Emylia Hall,Craig Taylor,Diana Evans,Jesse Armstrong,Marina Lewycka
24 Stories of Hope for Survivors of the Grenfell Tower Fire
Book 14 of 16 · published 2018
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Irvine Welsh?
Taking a look at the operations of the Edinburgh police squad this time, Irvine Welsh examines the corruption and degradation he finds prevalent throughout with his usual blackly comic take for this 1998 novel. Recently made into a film in 2013 directed by Jon S. Baird, it's also had the big-screen treatment as with many other works from Welsh prior to this.
Which Irvine Welsh series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Trainspotting / Mark Renton series, the earliest of Irvine Welsh's multi-book series: it opens with Trainspotting (1993) and runs to 6 books across 1993–2025, ending with Men In Love (2025).
How many books has Irvine Welsh written?
Irvine Welsh has 42 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1993 and 2026. 13 of them belong to 5 named series — the largest being the Trainspotting / Mark Renton series with 6 books — and 29 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Irvine Welsh's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Irvine Welsh's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Trainspotting / Mark Renton (1993–2025, 6 books), Terry Lawson (2001–2015, 2 books) and Crime (2008–2022, 2 books), plus 1 more.
How are Irvine Welsh's books organised into series?
This guide splits Irvine Welsh's 42 books into 5 named series and 29 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Trainspotting / Mark Renton (6 books, 1993–2025); Crime (2 books, 2008–2022); Terry Lawson (2 books, 2001–2015); Friendship (1 book, 2024); Book Slam Annual (2 books, 2011–2012).