Nick Drake’s Ten Steps recounts the brief and inscrutable existence of the great English singer-songwriter Nick Drake (1948–1974), author of only three albums that were ignored during his lifetime but have since become absolute cornerstones of British folk-rock.
Drake himself speaks from an indistinct post-mortem elsewhere: a stream-of-consciousness voice that retraces his childhood, his discovery of music, his inadequacy in the face of feelings and the commercial rules of art, and finally his inability to inhabit the world outside of songs.
The novel intertwines biographical chronicle with a second, “other” voice, which bursts in to question the figure of the absolute artist—fragile and violent, necessary and unheard—and his primordial role in contemporary and future society.
The whole thing is inspired by the only, very short film footage that exists of Nick Drake: twelve grainy seconds in which his silhouette walks away with his back to the camera, taking ten steps before leaving the frame. Those ten steps encapsulate the destiny of the artist and that of those who, half a century later, continue to listen to him and thank him.

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LUCA RAGAGNIN
Writer, poet, and lyricist. Winner of the Montale Prize for poetry, he has collaborated with leading musicians, theaters, and artists on the Italian scene. He is the author of novels, poetry collections, plays, and songs, with translations and performances in Italy and abroad.

CARLO BORDONE
Music journalist and communications professional. Contributor to Rolling Stone, Rumore, SentireAscoltare, and other publications. Author and translator of numerous books on music.

GIGI GIANCURSI
Musician, author, and cultural organizer. Co-founder of Perturbazione, with whom he has released numerous albums and participated in Sanremo 2014 (Press Award). He is active as a soloist and author of musical and theatrical projects. In 2025, he returns to rock with “Il gruppo spalla.”

ORLANDO MANFREDI
Singer-songwriter, actor, playwright, formerly Duemanosinistra.
With one hand (his left), he writes songs and records; with the other (also his left), he has written plays, a book, and articles on slow travel. He walks with his feet.