Irvine Welsh is bringing back Renton, Sick Boy, and the rest of the Trainspotting crew in a sequel to his 1993 novel, the Guardian reports.
Welsh will publish Men in Love next year. The novel will see the return of the troubled men whose story Welsh told in his famous debut book.
Trainspotting tells the story of a group of friends in Edinburgh, Scotland, who are battling various addictions, mostly heroin. The novel was memorably adapted into a 1996 film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Brenner, and Kelly Macdonald; the movie, like the book, became a cult classic. A musical adaptation of the novel was scheduled to open this year but has been delayed.
Welsh has revisited some of the characters from Trainspotting before, in the books Porno, The Blade Artist, and Dead Men’s Trousers. He also published a prequel to the novel, Skagboys, in 2012.
Men in Love, however, will see the return of the book’s four main characters, who are dispersed throughout Scotland, England, and the Netherlands. The novel will take place in the late 1980s, after the events of Trainspotting.
“I’m really, really excited about bringing these characters back,” Welsh told the Guardian.
Men in Love is slated for publication in the U.K. and Commonwealth on July 3, 2025. There’s no word of U.S. publication at this time.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
