Another great historical fiction author is C.J. Sansom. He has written a series of five (so far) novels about Matthew Shardlake, a tudor lawyer and hunchback who gets 'asked' to investigate various mysteries by Cromwell and other senior Tudor officials. The novels are constructed over historical events but there is an explanation of where fact meets fiction at the end. The first novel of the series is 'Dissolution' and there is talk of dramatization with Kenneth Brannagh involved.
Can also recommend 'Winter in Madrid' by the same author and set during the Spanish civil war.
Try Jeff Noon
Sorry it's a little late, but for crime I've been reading Mark Billingham; for crime with gore and laughs: Christopher Brookmyre (though I see on his latesthe calls himself Chris Brookmyre); for mainly historical: Robert Harris (though Ghost was bang up to date); for sci-fi: Iain M Banks; for general fiction: William Boyd.All British, all accessible and all, to my mind, great.
Dave
Simon kernick and lee child
I have quite enjoyed Tony Parsons on occasion, Man and Boy particularly.There is also Nick Hornby although i only really enjoyed High Fidelity.
Neville Shute is quite good too, albeit a bit old his writing is still quite enjoyable.
Other British historical fiction authors I'd recommend are George MacDonald Fraser (the Flashman novels) and Patrick O'Brian (Aubrey/Maturin novels) which begat the Master and Commander movie.
I enjoyed reading Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and A Spot of Bother. His new one The Red House I haven't read yet.
US crime authorsJohn Sandford his series on Virgil Flowers is great and Michael Connelly another great read.
Jeffery Archer's book "A Prisoner by Birth" is one of my favourites but I don't like his others novels.
British authors I always read are;
Irvine Welsh (as you mentioned)Kevin SampsonNick HornbyConn IgguldenMatt BeaumontJohnNivenDanny Wallace