Irvine Welsh gives Malaga book fair readers a glimpse of Trainspotting sequel

Scottish author Irvine Welsh broke the ice at Malaga’s 55th Book Fair with a self-deprecating opener, “My Spanish is very bad, sorry!” before launching into a world-premiere presentation of his new novel, Men in Love, the long-awaited sequel to Trainspotting. It was a disarming opening from a writer whose work has never shied away from brutal honesty.

Renton, Spud and Begbie are back now chasing love

Set in the late 1980s during the closing years of Thatcher’s Britain, Men in Love reunites Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie as they leave heroin behind and go their separate ways after a drug deal goes wrong. Welsh described it as focusing on a “transitional” period for the characters in their mid-twenties, a time when men start to become “serious in their quest for romance” and begin to believe in their own mortality for the first time. True to form, Welsh returns to his trademark raw style and street language to show their plunge into early adulthood.

Malaga readers ahead of the rest of Spain

In a genuine coup for book fair attendees, copies of the novel were already available to purchase at the fair before its official release in Spanish bookshops on May 13. Welsh appeared with editor and translator Carlos Pranger at the Eduardo Ocon venue, pulling in a full house eager to hear him speak.

AI, phones and why he wouldn’t want to be 20 again

Welsh did not limit himself to talking about fiction. He described artificial intelligence as “a machine that tells you what to think and say,” arguing that it strips people of context, and made a robust case for reading and study as the route to deeper knowledge. Asked whether he would want to relive his youth in today’s world, his answer was unequivocal. “I wouldn’t want to be 20 again because there’s so little freedom,” he said. 

The biggest edition of the Malaga book fair

Now in its 55th edition, the Malaga Book Fair has grown to 71 stalls,  nearly 10 per cent more than last year, making it the most expansive in its history. 

Men in Love from Irvine Welsh is on sale in Spain from May 13.