So This Is Permanence presents the intensely personal writings of one of the most enigmatic and influential songwriters and performers of the late twentieth century, Joy Division's Ian Curtis.

The fact of the band's relatively few releases belies the power and enduring fascination its music holds, especially in light of Curtis's tragic suicide in 1980 on the eve of the band's first American tour.

Reproduced in this beautiful clothbound volume are Curtis's never-before-seen handwritten lyrics, accompanied by earlier drafts and previously unpublished pages from his notebooks that shed fascinating light on his writing and creative process.

Also included are an insightful and moving foreword by Curtis's widow Deborah, a substantial introduction by writer Jon Savage, and an appendix featuring books from Curtis's library and a selection of fanzine interviews, letters, and other ephemera from his estate.

Ian Curtis (1956–1980) was the lyricist and vocalist for Joy Division.

Deborah Curtis is the author of Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division. She lives in Cheshire, England.

Jon Savage has been writing about music for a range of publications since 1977. His books include the classic England's Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock. He lives in North Wales.