Letters written by Morrissey as a teenager, before he formed The Smiths, will be auctioned in London with a combined estimate of £22,000. The correspondence offers an early view of his ambitions, humour and developing literary voice, while documenting Britain’s punk scene and political atmosphere in the 1970s.

Written to Birmingham pen friend Simon Pitt between 1974 and 1979, the letters cover Morrissey’s encounters with musicians including Patti Smith and members of the New York Dolls, his criticism of the Sex Pistols, and his brief role as vocalist with Manchester band The Nosebleeds. They will be sold as separate lots at Dawsons Auctioneers’ Before The Smiths: The Morrissey Letters sale on 26 August; the final letter describes joining a London band with a recording contract.