Ten Steps to Nanette

Multi-awardwinning Hannah Gadsby transformed comedy with their show Nanette, even as they declared that they were quitting stand-up. Now, Gadsby takes us through the defining moments in their life that led to the creation of Nanette and their powerful decision to tell the truth – no matter the cost.

‘There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself.’ -Hannah Gadsby, Nanette

Gadsby’s unique stand-up special Nanette was a viral success that left audiences captivated by their blistering honesty and their ability to create both tension and laughter in a single moment. But while their worldwide fame might have looked like an overnight sensation, their path from open mic to the global stage was hard-fought and anything but linear.

Ten Steps to Nanette traces Gadsby’s growth as a queer person from Tasmania – where homosexuality was illegal until 1997 – to their ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to their struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette – the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny and the moral significance of truth-telling.

Equal parts harrowing and hilarious, Ten Steps to Nanette continues Gadsby’s tradition of confounding expectations and norms, properly introducing us to one of the most explosive, formative voices of our time.

‘Hannah is a Promethean force, a revolutionary talent …This hilarious, touching, and sometimes tragic book is all about where Hannah’s fires were lit.’ – Emma Thompson

‘Similar to their groundbreaking comedy specials Douglas and Nanette, Gadsby’s memoir reads like a conversation with a longtime friend… A can’t-miss memoir that will make readers laugh, cry, and everything in between.’ – Library Journal (starred review)

‘A witty and provocatively written life story.’- KIRKUS

‘Ten Steps to Nanette is equal parts hilarious and harrowing, confronting and comforting. Gadsby’s authenticity and vulnerability shine through.’ – Stuff.co.nz

Author Biography

Tasmania’s own Hannah Gadsby stopped stand-up comedy in its tracks with their multi-awardwinning show, Nanette, which played to sold-out houses in Australia, the UK and New York. Its launch on Netflix, and subsequent Emmy win, took Nanette (and Hannah) to the world. Hannah’s difficult second album (which was also their eleventh solo show) was named Douglas after their dog. Hannah walked Douglas around the world, selling out theatres across the world. Douglas was an Emmy-nominated smash hit, moving beyond the trauma at the centre of Nanette and instead letting the world see the view from Hannah’s brain-one that sees the world differently but with breathtaking clarity. Hannah released a third comedy special with Netflix, Something Special, in April 2023. The show is a feel-good tale of love and marriage and includes a panicky proposal, a novelty wedding cake and a fateful bunny encounter. Hannah has done plenty of other things over the course of more than a decade in comedy, but that will do for now.