Irvine Welsh has said while he appreciates Edinburgh’s festival culture he is more excited to see his team Hibernian taking part in European competition this summer.
The 66-year-old Trainspotting writer has returned to the Scottish capital for the premiere of his documentary, Reality Is Not Enough, which will close the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Directed by Paul Sng, the immersive documentary is said to be a thrilling and revealing exploration of Welsh, following his huge success with several film adaptations and six million books sold worldwide, and his awareness of mortality.
In it, Welsh, who appears on screen, embarks on a wild journey into the boundaries of consciousness.
He undergoes psychedelic-enhanced therapy and reflects on how intoxication can open up new perspectives.
“There’s an upside to drug-taking, because there’s a real exploratory, consciousness-raising aspect to it, as well as a sense of bonding with others in a festival-type environment,” Welsh told the PA news agency.
“But there’s also a very negative side to it, a side that’s about running away from things.”
The film also explores how Welsh’s creativity was shaped by his childhood in Edinburgh, the influences he absorbed from London’s 1970s counterculture, and how ground breaking works such as Trainspotting and Filth helped pull him out of a self-destructive cycle.
The autobiographical film combines intimate observational footage, rare archive film clips and readings from his novels narrated by stars Liam Neeson, Maxine Peake, Ruth Negga and Stephen Graham, and musician Nick Cave.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 📢 #EIFF25 will close with the World Premiere of documentary ‘Reality Is Not Enough.’
— Edinburgh International Film Festival (@edfilmfest) May 30, 2025
Director Paul Sng follows one of the most controversial writers of our times, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, as he explores the boundaries of consciousness. pic.twitter.com/KQnxYk7kWu
Reflecting on his success as a writer, Welsh said he does not dwell too much on a project as he’s always looking towards the next thing.
“If it’s a book, a film, a record or a TV show, once you’ve created it and put it out into the world, it’s an act of giving it away,” said Welsh.
“By then, you’re already immersed in the next one. I just move from one project to the next.
“I don’t really take the time to reflect on them or figure out where they sit in the grand scheme of things.
“That’s why it’s interesting for me to watch myself on screen, being compelled to talk about them and think about them in that way.”
Welsh is a constant fixture at the Edinburgh festivals, whether speaking at the book festival or through Trainspotting Live, the immersive adaptation of his novel that features at the Fringe each year.
Although he features heavily in the festival programme, Welsh himself says he would prefer to be at the pub or watching his favourite football team, Hibs.
“I should be swathed in culture, but all I’ve been thinking about is Hibs are back in the Europa League,” he laughs.
“Oasis were here too. I got to go to the shows at Murrayfield, and they were absolutely fabulous, just mind blowing.
“Hibs and Oasis, basically, has been my festival.”
Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough will premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival on Wednesday August 20.
