Shaparak (Shappi) Khorsandi is a satirist comedian and author of “Scatter Brain: How I Finally Got Off the ADHD Rollercoaster and Became the Owner of a Very Tidy Sock Drawer”. Advocating for human rights Shaparak is using her platform to highlight essential issues, such as racism, through humour. With a track record of selling out shows, Shappi has captured the market and delivered award-winning comedic performances. A popular choice for after-dinner engagements, as a speaker, Shappi explores such topics as embracing diversity, sexism across industries and mental wellbeing. Approaching often challenging themes with humour ensures audiences are engaged in Shappi’s talks from start to finish and leave with a fresh perspective.
A prominent comic on the small screen, Shappi is a regular feature on UK comedy shows including Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Mock the Week and 8 Out of 10 Cats. With an established reputation, Shappi has also been sought-after to appear on reality shows, most memorably on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2017. Equally renowned for her live work, Shappi has been gracing the stage at the iconic Edinburgh Fringe Festival for more than two decades. Her 2006 original show, Asylum Speaker, sold out, and received critical acclaim for its honest yet humorous exploration of her upbringing, having fled Iran as a child refugee. Following such stage success, Shappi released her bestselling book “A Beginner’s Guide To Acting English”, a memoir of her childhood experiences. Shappi has also authored “Nina is Not OK” and “Kissing Emma” – books that address complex themes with humour.
Shappi began her career following a degree from the University of Winchester in Drama, Theatre and Television. With her witty social observations and sharp-as-a-tack comedic style, Shappi was soon offered her show, Shappi Talk, on BBC Radio 4. In recognition of her impressive career, Shappi was awarded an honorary degree from her former university and named the Best Breakthrough Act at the 2007 Chortle Awards. In 2013, Shappi received the James Joyce Award for outstanding success in her field from Dublin University.
Currently, Shappi continues to be one of the most popular comedians on the stand-up circuit and writes a weekly column for the Independent. Drawing on her personal experiences, Shappi is regularly booked to discuss issues surrounding sexism, the importance of cultural diversity and mental wellbeing at corporate events.
Shappi Khorsandi's official speaking topics are listed below:
It’s The Way You Tell It: What Does Our Humour Say About Us?
Shappi explains how, despite what some may think, comedy is not just about telling jokes. It is about taking a risk and displaying a confidence which can help you in every area of your life, and build trust with those around you. Humour is a powerful way to show other people the world as you see it and build rapport with those who, on paper, you may not seem to have anything in common. Of course, It can also massively misfire and do the opposite, so Shappi will outline the pitfalls and how to avoid them, too!
Defining Diversity and Embracing Cultural Difference
The drive for diversity can sometimes make people in workplaces panic and scramble around to grab the nearest brown person and plonk them in a group photo. Very often, Shappi has been that brown person. But diversity is not about tokenistic representation, and the conversation surrounding it needs to be had much earlier and at every level of an organisation. Rather than just paying lip service to diversity, we need to discuss what it really means, why it is so important and how we can truly embrace the concept to produce beneficial and equitable outcomes for all.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
In a deeply personal and illuminating talk, Shappi takes the audience on a captivating journey from the 90s to the present day, revealing her own struggles with bulimia and anxiety disorders, and the tools and techniques she developed to cope with and overcome these issues. With candour, warmth and humour, she will explain how we could all improve our lives dramatically if we paid a little bit more attention to maintaining our mental wellbeing.
A Woman in a Man’s World: Uncovering Everyday Sexism
As one of just a handful of women in the 90s trying to break into a stand-up comedy industry dominated by bombastic men, Shappi knows all too well what it feels like to be a woman in a man’s world. For every woman, in any sector, it can be a quiet, personal terrain to navigate. Sexism can be the hardest ‘ism’ to call out and challenge, because it can come from your closest quarters, and exist within your own family and friendship circle. In this honest and very personal talk, Shappi will examine the ways in which women and men can work together to remove the barriers constructed by past prejudice and shine a hopeful light on changing the status quo.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events
"Shappi was perfect for the tone and audience on the eve. Super easy to work with, and the attendees were really excited to see her. She really connected with the audience, and suited the role perfectly (especially as this was the inaugural event)." - Rhys, Conference Producer, Optimus Education
"Please can you pass on a BIG thank you to Shappi from us all! She was absolutely fantastic, our colleagues really enjoyed the event!" - Simran, Managing Director of Corporate & Institutional Coverage, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking
"The knowledge and openness of the discussion. Due to Shappi not needing to fit into a Q&A answer format she was free to speak about whatever, whenever which was brilliant"
"Refreshing to listen to. Shappi made important points on embracing and promoting cultural differences, by adding her personal reflections into that, some of which were relatable and also very humourous- it was overall an engaging talk"
"Shappi was brilliant, very precise in her delivery, and made talking of a deep subject light. The interaction in the QA/ interview section at the end was great too! Shame we could not attend live"
"It was funny. Humour is always the best way to communicate and connect with people and is fundamental for diversity and inclusion"
"It's really great how you have opened the definition of Diversity to include so many different people and not just have it boxed in as race or colour"
"I loved how a pretty serious issue was dealt with in a fairly light hearted way, shedding light on the issues that Shappi faced, but not making it feel too dramatic or weighty"
"Shappi's openness and how she linked diversity to being human just showed we have more in common than we realise"
- Sky
- 2023 – Author of “Scatter Brain”
- 2021 – Author of “Kissing Emma”
- 2017 – Participant in “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”
- 2016 – Author of “Nina is Not OK”
- 2013 – Winner of the James Joyce Award
- 2010 – Nominated for the British Comedy Award as the Best Female TV Comic
- 2009 – Performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
- 2009 – Hosted BBC Radio 4’s Shappi Talk
- 2009 – Author of “A Beginner’s Guide to Acting English”
- 2007 – Nominated for Best Breakthrough Act at Chortle Awards
- 2007 – Performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival
How to hire Shappi Khorsandi
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Shappi Khorsandi for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
