A NEW book focusing on the life of Buzzcocks' founder Pete Shelley will be published in 2021.

Ever Fallen in Love: The Lost Buzzcocks Tapes is based on a series of "long, personal and in-depth" interviews between the musician and his close friend Louie Shelley.

The book will also include previously unseen photographs taken by Buzzcocks band members, as well as memorabilia, classic punk fanzines and record covers, with the cover artwork designed by Malcolm Garrett, the designer of Buzzcocks' record sleeves and posters.

Leigh-born Shelley, who died in 2018, formed Buzzcocks at the Bolton Institute of Technology in 1975.

The band went on to be one of the most successful of the punk era with seven UK top 40 singles.

Editorial director, Joe Cottington, said: "This is the memoir that Pete never wrote. It’s a special thrill to hear him talk in his own words about Buzzcocks' place at the heart of the punk scene, as well as the inspiration and anecdotes behind all of his greatest, most loved songs.

"It’s especially moving when it seemed the chance to hear him talk so openly had been so sadly lost."

Shelley added: "When I interviewed Pete I asked him the questions that all lovers of music would want to know, about how he created these timeless classics."

The title will be published on June 10, 2021.