Irvine Welsh

Welsh gives an interview to The Talks. He discusses his upbringing in Scotland and whether life experience or writing experience is more important.

I think you’ve got to draw a balance between the two. To be a good writer, you have to be a good reader, you have to be interested in literature, you have to be interested in some of the great classic books, you have to constantly enjoy books and enjoy the work of it. You really do. But you’ve also got to be prepared to get out and do stuff and look around and engage with people. You’ve got to engage your senses. You live your life, and that way you can bring something new to the table, because otherwise you’re just a compiler or an editor of other people’s experiences.