Comedy / Interviews
Interview: Shappi Khorsandi
This autumn Anglo-Iranian comic Shappi Khorsandi tours the land with new show Oh My Country! From Morris Dancing to Morrissey, which she describes as “a celebration of the fortieth anniversary of her arrival in Britain… reclaiming patriotism and sending a love letter to her adopted land.”
A regular face on QI, Have I Got News For You and others, Shappi has also just released her debut novel Nina is Not OK, a “frightening example of the power of social media and the fragility of friendships” centred on an 18-year-old alcoholic.
Shappi and her family (her father Hadi is a well-known Iranian satirist) were granted asylum in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution, which saw the moderate Shah ousted and (eventually) replaced by the hardline Ayatollah Khomeini.
Well, Shappi: how have you most seen Britain change in the 40 years since your arrival?
There are far fewer people snogging in the street. I remember when we first arrived, you couldn’t move for people snogging each other’s faces off in the street, on the bus, in the post office.
“She’s reclaiming patriotism.” Has patriotism become a bit of a dirty word? Is that fair? And what makes you feel patriotic about the UK?
I can say ‘I love England’ without people thinking I’m also the sort of person who thinks Lebanese food is what lesbians eat. There is nothing in particular that makes me feel patriotic – other than this is the land I was raised in, it’s my home, and I love it for the same reason I love my children… it’s mine. Patriotism isn’t about putting yourself in an elevated position to others. It’s about looking after your land and everyone you share it with.
Where did Nina is Not OK spring from?
Nina is Not OK is about an 18-year-old girl who is an alcoholic. She has a dreadful time at the hands of people who don’t have compassion for her, and goes on a journey to deal with this. It’s a coming-of-age novel – dealing with some very dark themes, but ultimately hopeful. I’ve been so touched by the beautiful, heartfelt reviews it has got. It has very dark subject matter and it has meant the world to me that people ‘get’ it.
You’re president of the British Humanist Association. What does that entail?
I get to hang out with lots of scientists! I was raised ‘religion-free’ and have always been an atheist. The BHA campaign to get the voice of non-believers heard, and I enjoy being a part of it.
Shappi Khorsandi will at Tobacco Factory Theatres on Saturday November 12. Nina is Not OK is out now.
Pic: Piers Allardyce
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