- Welsh vowed that if any producer proved brave enough to take on the filming of Filth (2013), he would get a tattoo of the book's cover, a pig dressed like a cop. It took 15 years to get Filth made, and halfway through filming, Welsh proved true to his word and tattooed the pig on his arm.
- Did not start writing until he was in his early thirties.
- Is a huge fan of Hubert Selby Jr and credits Selby's book ''Last Exit To Brooklyn'' with influencing his literary style of writing about his environment.
- Big fan of Iggy Pop.
- Has completed writing 'Skagboys', his prequel to 'Trainspotting' and 'Porno'.
- My Chemical Romance took their band name from the title of his short stories book 'Ecstasy: Three tales of chemical romance'.
- Some of his books have been banned in several countries, notably Russia and Greece, and Senator Bob Dole criticized Trainspotting during his vice-presidential campaign. Police in York and Southampton, England, raided High Street bookstores to remove giant posters advertising copies of Filth, featuring the pig's head, which were deemed offensive by police officials.
- Based his character Freddy Royle, from his 1996 story Lorraine Goes to Livingston, on Sir Jimmy Savile. Royle is a children's TV presenter described as the nation's "favourite caring, laconic uncle", who turns out to be a child molester and necrophiliac, raising millions for the hospital where he commits his crimes. Following his death in 2011, Savile, a children's television presenter and massive charity fundraiser, was revealed to have been a prolific sexual abuser who committed many of his offences in hospitals.
- Dropped out of school when he was age 16 and returned in his twenties.
- Wrote an introduction for ''Last Exit To Brooklyn'', which he has claimed is one of his favorite books.
- Had many run-ins with the law as a youth until a series of arrests for petty crimes and finally a suspended sentence for trashing a North London community center inspired him to correct his ways.
- Appeared in films of his own books, Trainspotting and The Acid House.
- A partner in the British film production company 4 Ways along with Antonia Bird, Robert Carlyle and Mark Cousins
- Is a huge fan of House Music and features it in his novels.
- Started writing through music as he would come up with ideas for songs that evolved into short stories.
- Supporter of Hibernian Football Club in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- Gives readings of his work worldwide, and was caught up in controversy when attending a reading of his in Australia.
- Lived mainly in London and Edinburgh, with spells in Amsterdam, San Francisco and Dublin, now lives in Chicago and Miami Beach.
- Has an MBA and is a marathon runner.
- Loves the works of Jane Austen and George Eliot.
- Was a Property Developer before he started writing.
- His wife, Elizabeth, is from Chicago.
- His first play written as such, "You'll Have Had Your Hole" premiered at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, in February 1998 and starred Kirsty Mitchell as "Laney".
- Left school when he was age 16.
- He originally thought about becoming a TV Repairman before receiving an electrical shock from an outlet.
- Spends most of his time between Edinburgh and London. (May 2002)
- Was a regular attendee of Bohemian Football club games when he lived in Dublin, Ireland.
- He played guitar and sang in a band called ''The Pubic Lice and Stairway 13'',the latter a reference to the Ibrox disaster of 1971.
- He has lived in Miami, Florida since 2018.
- Chicago, Illinois, USA: Living and working. (2013)
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