Letters by pre-Smiths Morrissey set for auction
A collection of letters written by Morrissey between the ages of 14 and 20 is set to be auctioned for an estimated £22,000. The archive provides a rare glimpse into the singer's early ambitions and his evolving opinions on the punk music scene before the formation of The Smiths.
Why it matters
These documents offer significant historical insight into the formative years of a major cultural icon and the British indie rock movement.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Morrissey was one of the pioneers of British indie rock in the 1980s
Letters written by a young Morrissey before he formed The Smiths are to go to auction where they are expected to sell for £22,000.
The archive of letters, written to Birmingham pen friend, Simon Pitt, who would go on to become the city's poet laureate, by the singer between the ages of 14 and 20, includes one in which Morrissey says "my ambition is to be a rock 'n' roll star or an actor, or a writer".
Another letter dated a number of weeks later adds: "I always said I was a genius, but nobody listened."
The letters, written between 1974 and 1979, are expected to fetch a combined £22,000 estimate when they go on sale in London.
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