Irvine Welsh Reading Order
10 series · 42 books · Born 1958-09-27
Irvine Welsh is a Scottish author best known for his gritty, dialect-heavy fiction that explores the lives of working-class characters in Edinburgh and beyond. His breakout novel Trainspotting became a cultural phenomenon, establishing his reputation for unflinching portrayals of addiction, crime, and urban desperation. Beyond fiction, Welsh has also ventured into non-fiction and edited various anthologies, demonstrating range across crime narratives, character-driven stories, and experimental short fiction since his debut in the early 1990s.
Anthologies Series
Likely Complete17 books (1994–2023)
Start with A Tongue in Yer Heid, the first of 15 books in the Anthologies series.
Start this series with A Tongue in Yer Heid
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Book Slam Annual Series
Complete2 books (2011–2012)
Start with One for the Trouble: Book Slam Volume 1(With: 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) and read in order.
Start this series with One for the Trouble: Book Slam Volume 1(With: 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)
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | One for the Trouble: Book Slam Volume 1(With: 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) |
| 2 |
Crime Series
Likely Complete2 books (2008–2022)
Start with Crime and read in order.
Start this series with Crime
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Friendship Series
Complete1 book (2024–2024)
Non-Fiction Series
Complete1 book (2009–2009)
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete1 book (2018–2018)
Short Story Collections Series
Complete4 books (1994–2009)
Start with The Acid House, the first of 4 books in the Short Story Collections series.
Start this series with The Acid House
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Standalone Novels Series
Complete6 books (1995–2014)
Start with Marabou Stork Nightmares, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Marabou Stork Nightmares
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Terry Lawson Series
Complete2 books (2001–2015)
Start with Glue and read in order.
Start this series with Glue
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Trainspotting / Mark Renton Series
Ongoing6 books (1993–2025)
Start with Trainspotting, the first of 6 books in the Trainspotting / Mark Renton series.
Start this series with Trainspotting
Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Irvine Welsh written?
- Irvine Welsh has written 42 books across 10 series. Their published works span from 1993 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each Irvine Welsh series?
- Here are the first books in Irvine Welsh's series: Anthologies: A Tongue in Yer Heid; Book Slam Annual: One for the Trouble: Book Slam Volume 1(With: 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); Crime: Crime; Short Story Collections: The Acid House; Terry Lawson: Glue.
- What order should I read Irvine Welsh's books?
- We recommend reading Irvine Welsh's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Irvine Welsh still writing new books?
- Yes, Irvine Welsh has 1 ongoing series: Trainspotting / Mark Renton.