Morrissey inks memoir deal with Penguin Classics

They have surrendered: Morrissey's memoir is indeed coming out, and will be published by Penguin Classics, the home of some of the world's greatest literary works.

Morrissey announced on Thursday that after much vacillation, Penguin Classics will publish the book on 17 October. According to Morrissey's statement, which was verified by the publisher, Autobiography will come out in the UK, Europe and the British Commonwealth. Reps for the former Smiths frontman stated that the star "has no contract with a publisher for the US or any other territory". This may be the result of a reported conflict with Penguin's international subsidiaries: in September, the fansite True to You claimed "a last-minute content disagreement … caused the [Penguin] venture to collapse".

Morrissey has spent years working on the book. As early as 2011, he said the principal manuscript was finished: "I've reached the redrafting, trimming stage," he said of a 660-page draft. "I'd like it to go to Penguin, but only if they published it as a Classic," he told Radio 4's Front Row at the time. "I can't see why not – a contemporary Penguin Classic. When you consider what really hits print these days, and when you look at the autobiographies and how they are sold, most of it is appalling. It's a publishing event, not a literary event."

Although the book has been a long time coming, a representative for Waterstones, Jon Howells, predicts that the memoir will be a success this Christmas: "He's a contrary, controversial character, and his is arguably the most interesting untold story yet to emerge from the 80s generation of British music heroes. The announcement may have not been as smooth as the publisher would have hoped, but ultimately fans just want to read it, and we expect Autobiography to be one of this Christmas's top sellers at Waterstones."

While Penguin Classics is usually an imprint for work by long-beloved (and long-dead) members of the literary canon, the publishing house is a "natural fit" for Morrissey, a Penguin spokesperson said in 2011. With the Independent reporting that the contract "hinged" on whether the memoir would be declared a Classic, Penguin's rep explained: "[It] could be published as a Penguin Classic because it is a classic in the making."

The statement from Penguin Classics revealed the book's cover – a photograph used for Morrissey's 2008 Greatest Hits. It also includes the quote: "Most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status that Morrissey has reached in his lifetime" – a declaration that may or may not have been written by the singer himself.