Filth. Glue. Porno. Trainspotting. All books that have made waves, and all books by Scottish author Irvine Welsh. Like many Scots I know, he has a black sense of humour. And he’s a quiet observer; you can imagine him sitting in the corner of a pub, or watching from the street just to see how humans interact. Back in 2014 he came to Australia to speak at the Sydney Writers Festival, off the back of his latest book,  ‘The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins’. Given the fact he basically wrote one of the most iconic stories of our generation, of course I wanted him to choose songs, and come in to Take 5. The theme I gave him was “songs that should be books”. He picked classics, but through the prism of his perspective, gave them new life.

Lou Reed – 'Kicks'

Carly Simon - 'You’re So Vain'

David Bowie – 'Valentine’s Day'

Duran Duran – 'Hungry Like the Wolf'

Queen – 'Bohemian Rhapsody'