The widow of The Clash frontman Joe Strummer has unearthed a treasure trove of scribbled notes, cartoons, and forgotten song lyrics left by the late musician.

In her first interview since the rocker died in 2002, Lucinda Mellor tells how the secret possessions will form the basis of a tribute book to the uniquely talented musician, which will be produced in conjunction with his friend, the artist Damien Hirst.

The discovery was made in a room buried in the depths of the farmhouse she shared with her husband, which she rarely if ever ventured into while he was alive. When Strummer returned home after a tour, he would throw his suitcases into the room, leaving them jumbled alongside other suitcases he brought back from his travels.

Mellor left the suitcases untouched until long after her husband died of an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. But when she finally ventured into the room to investigate the baggage, she was astonished at the contents.