For all those who have harboured an (inexplicable) yearning to join the ranks of Irvine Welsh's motley crew of heroin addicts Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie, the chance of a lifetime is nigh: the author has agreed to auction the chance to be immortalised as a character in his forthcoming prequel to the bestselling novel Trainspotting.
Scottish charity Love in Action, to which the proceeds of the auction are going, expects bids to top £10,000. A fan has previously paid £6,200 for the chance to appear in a Kathy Lette novel, while author Ken Follett shelled out £2,000 to appear in a Terry Pratchett book. "I want to appear as a giant, but Terry is making no promises," Follett said at the time. "All he asked me is how I want to die, which is a little disconcerting."
Skagboys, set in Edinburgh around 1984, will reveal how the Trainspotting protagonists' recreational drug-taking descended into full-blown smack addiction. Gillie Davidson, founder of Love in Action – which supports destitute children in India – said Welsh had not given away any details about the character. "He'll keep us in suspense - it's all part of the game," she said.
The auction takes place on 7 May at Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms, as part of the Hottest Night in the East event. "A lot of the people hopefully coming will be entrepreneurs," said Davidson. "We could raise £10,000 or more."