Dai Henwood is one of New Zealand’s best-known and -loved comedians, so it came as a huge shock to many when he announced to the public in January 2023 that he was living with incurable, stage-four bowel cancer. Not as much of a shock as it was to him though, obviously, as he recounts in this warm, honest and frequently funny memoir. 

Written in collaboration with fellow comedian and author Jaquie Brown, The Life of Dai is neither just an account of Henwood’s comedic adventures before cancer, nor a ‘cancer book’ about his illness and the ongoing treatment. The first third tells the story of his early life, growing up with supportive parents (his father was the late actor Ray Henwood and his mother one of New Zealand’s first female judges) and making his way on the comedy stage. Henwood’s adventures in entertainment could fill an entire book on their own, but instead they’re a preamble to the critical Second Act, in which he is given his diagnosis, and the third part, in which he shares it with the world.

There is nothing about cancer that’s funny, but the way in which Henwood tells the story of his journey will often bring a smile to the reader’s face. His conversational style and witty asides (about pillow mist, hedgehogs and arguing with Uber Eats drivers) help to leaven the grim reality of what he and his family are living with. The book is also a way for him to share his philosophies and learnings in response to ‘cancer, the hot chemistry teacher’, and breakout tip boxes in the second and third parts contain useful ideas and guidance for people who are either dealing with their own illness or that of a loved one.

Perhaps one of the most important messages in this book — although Henwood is not heavy-handed about it — is not to ignore the signs your body is trying to give you that something is wrong. Henwood admits he had been minimising and ignoring some pretty significant symptoms for years. After a massive night at a Six60 gig in Japan during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, he writes, with his typical way with words, ‘we shared plenty of beers and I had a great time. But the next morning the bum bleeding was really something.’ (p.77) 

Brown aptly calls Henwood ‘a walking positive spin’ (p. 4), and throughout the book we see how his mental framing of events, inspired by his interest in Eastern religions such as Buddhism, has brought him greater peace and acceptance. Like his friend Matt Heath (whose book on making life less punishing through greater self-understanding has just been released), Henwood has depths which many who have seen him performing on stage or TV might not expect. This is something, he suggests, that we will see more of in the future. Through his experiences,

. . . I realised that I am capable of straddling both sides. I can showcase my
comedy and my cancer journey, I can exist in both spaces at once.

The funny thing is, now, when I get booked for a gig, I don’t know if they are
booking Comedy Dai or Cancer Dai. Both will show up, I guess. (p.198)

In this book, Henwood has generously and bravely let us know more of the ‘private Dai’ behind the popular clown. For all that his outrageous comedy persona has brought him popularity and accolades over the years, this will probably make you like him even more.

Sarah Ell is an author and editor of fiction and non fiction titles for children and adults, primarily on NZ history and natural history, and is based in Auckland. She has a Masters of Creative Writing (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland.