Three books set before Coronation Street began on ITV will be released over the next 18 months.

The three books are being written by Manchester-based author Maggie Sullivan and will “tell the story of the early lives of the iconic matriarchs of the street”. The first book, Christmas on Coronation Street, will be published in November with two more planned in 2018.

Sullivan has been a fan of the show since childhood. She said: “It has been so exciting to work with HarperCollins and ITV on this project, a wonderful opportunity to explore the lives of the old favourites and to get to know them better.”

Karen Bradley from publishers HarperCollins said she hoped to recruit new fans as well as the existing viewers: “Coronation Street is the most famous street in the world and we are absolutely delighted to have embarked on this initiative with ITV Studios. We’ll be working together to create new stories from Coronation Street’s rich heritage that will draw in the existing fan base and recruit a whole new audience.”