Comedienne Shappi Khorsandi on stand-up nerves, her latest novel and life in London…

This is my 40th anniversary of living in the UK. To celebrate, I’m reclaiming p a t r i o t i s m wi t h my n e w s h o w, O h My C o u n t r y ! F ro m Mor r i s Da n c i n g To Morrissey. It’s about space not race, and how you sh a re i t wi t h pe o pl e . I thought, where better to debut a show about my love of England than the capital of Scotland? My family originally came me from Iran as poli t i c al a s yl u m - s e e ke r s . My father, a writer, was on a wanted list. I grew up in Ealing, but only moved back two years ago when I was pregnant with my second d child. I needed my parents nts o n my d o o r s t e p b e c aua u s e I had my daughter on my own. Moving back is the best thing I ever did: I love how egalitarian Ealing is, and that I know everyone on my street. I’m also a huge fan of Walpole Park and all its festivals. My novel, Nina Is Not OK, is about a 17-year-old teenager who spirals into alcoholism. It doesn’t sound like a funny book, does it? It is, but it also deals with serious issues. Nina’s lost her Dad and has a stepfather she doesn’t see eye-toeye with. It’s harder for young women now. In my day, the worst that could happen was that someone could write something bad about me on the back of a toilet door. N ow a d ay s , a nyo n e w i t h access to a smartphone can do a lot of harm. Doing a stand-up show is more nerveracking than publishing a book. If someone doesn’t like my book, I wo n’ t t a ke i t p e r s o n a l l y, b u t stand- stand-upu is very personal and subj subjective. Also, I’ve pored ov over ever y sentence of m my book, whereas with stand-up, I’m more on my toes, and more likely t o make mi s t a kes or misjudgements in the moment.

I’mI’ someone who makes the most of living in Londo London. My boyfriend Andrew andd I l love seeing classic films like Chaplin’s City Lights at the Regent St re et Cinema or t he Nati onal Film T h e a t re . I e n j oy t a k i n g my k i d s to the London Transport Museum, then to see the street performers in Covent Garden. I’d do that with visiting friends, too, but add in a meal at Soho Joe’s in Dean Street, then a comedy show at Soho Theatre. If it were hipsters visiting, we’d have cocktails on Portobello Road and grab a bite from a Westbourne Grove burger van.