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John Lydon has announced Archive, a photographic memoir marking 50 years of the Sex Pistols and documenting his work with Public Image Ltd. The book is scheduled for release in November and will be offered in Luxe and Superluxe editions. It will also include tributes to his late wife, Nora Forster, and his friend and manager, John Rambo Stevens.
John Lydon, the former Sex Pistols frontman also known as Johnny Rotten, has announced Archive, a photographic memoir planned for release in November to mark 50 years since the band’s formation. The book will cover his time with the Sex Pistols and his later work with Public Image Ltd., as well as pay tribute to two people close to him who have died.
The memoir is being offered in Luxe and Superluxe editions, according to the announcement reported by Consequence. The Luxe edition is described as a signed, more than 200-page coffee-table book presented in a slipcase. No price or precise November publication date was provided in the supplied report.
The Superluxe edition includes the book and a separate companion volume of additional photographs, packaged in a clamshell box. It also comes with Public Image Ltd.’s new live album, Alive, a print of a Lydon self-portrait and a print of a recent portrait by photographer Lou Boileau for the National Portrait Gallery.
Archive will include tributes to Nora Forster, Lydon’s late wife, and John Rambo Stevens, described in the report as his best friend and manager. The announcement does not give a detailed account of the images or explain how the book is arranged across the two bands and Lydon’s personal life.
A Personal Record of Punk History
The book arrives as the Sex Pistols reach a 50-year milestone, giving readers a photographic account selected from Lydon’s own collection rather than a retrospective assembled solely through outside reporting. Its stated scope also links the band’s story with Lydon’s subsequent career leading Public Image Ltd.
The two editions package that account differently: the Superluxe version combines photographs with music and prints, while the Luxe edition offers a signed book. Those options make the announcement relevant both to readers interested in Lydon’s career and to collectors, though pricing and availability details are not included in the report.
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Two Bands in One Career
The Sex Pistols were the band through which Lydon became widely known; he later fronted Public Image Ltd., which is also represented in the memoir. The announcement frames the book as covering both periods, rather than focusing exclusively on the anniversary of the punk group.
The report places the release amid current activity by both acts. Public Image Ltd. is preparing a second leg of its 2026–2027 North American tour, due to begin in Chicago on February 12 and end in Cleveland on March 24. Lydon’s former Sex Pistols co-founders have toured without him as Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter; their North American run has recently ended, with a UK run planned for December. The report does not say that the memoir is connected to either tour.
““This isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a record of real life—the good, the chaos, the quiet moments, and the people who stood by me through it all.””
— John Lydon, quoted in the announcement
Publication Details Still Missing
The report says Archive is scheduled for November, but gives no exact release day, price, publisher, page count beyond the Luxe edition’s description as more than 200 pages, or sales territories. It also does not state how many photographs the editions contain, whether the books will be available through retailers, or what the additional companion volume covers.
Although Lydon says the book will “set the story straight,” the announcement provides no specific disputes, claims or episodes that the memoir will address. The supplied material likewise does not explain whether the Sex Pistols’ other members contributed or were consulted. Those details remain unconfirmed in the report.
November Release and Tour Dates
The next stated milestone is the book’s planned November release. Prospective buyers will need further announcements for an exact date, edition prices and ordering information. The Superluxe package’s inclusion of Alive is confirmed in the supplied report, but no track list or recording details are provided.
Separately, Public Image Ltd.’s next North American tour leg is scheduled to start in Chicago on February 12 and conclude in Cleveland on March 24. The Sex Pistols’ former co-founders are due to play a UK run in December. The report does not provide further dates or indicate that Lydon will join those Sex Pistols performances.
Key Questions
What is John Lydon’s new book called?
It is titled Archive and is described as a photographic memoir covering Lydon’s time with the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd.
When will Archive be released?
The book is scheduled for November, according to the report. An exact release date has not been provided in the supplied material.
What is included in the Superluxe edition?
The reported package includes the main book, a companion volume of additional photographs, Public Image Ltd.’s live album Alive, a Lydon self-portrait print and a print of Lou Boileau’s portrait of Lydon for the National Portrait Gallery. It is packaged in a clamshell box.
Does the memoir cover only the Sex Pistols?
No. The announcement says Archive will document Lydon’s work with both the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., and will include tributes to Nora Forster and John Rambo Stevens.
Source: rss
