Trainspotting (novel) the shortlist after "offending the sensibilities of two judges"). Trainspotting (novel) Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh, first published in 1993. It takes the form of a collection of short stories, written in either Scots, Scottish English or British English, revolving around various residents of Leith, Edinburgh who either use heroin, are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are implicitly portrayed as addictions that serve the same function as heroin addiction. The novel is set in the late 1980s and has been described by "The Sunday Times" as
Heroin chic Heroin chic Heroin chic was a look popularized in mid-1990s fashion and characterized by pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, very skinny body, dark red lipstick and angular bone structure. The look, characterised by emaciated features and androgyny, was a reaction against the "healthy" and vibrant look of models such as Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. A 1996 article in the "Los Angeles Times" stated that the fashion industry had "a nihilistic vision of beauty" that was reflective of drug addiction. At the time during which heroin chic emerged, the popular image of heroin was changing for several reasons.