Beginner'S Guide To Acting English, A

It's 1977 and life in Iran is becoming unpredictable. The Shah will be overthrown and events are about to take place on the world stage. But for five-year-old Shappi Khorsandi all this means is that she must flee, leaving behind a mad extended Iran clan and everything she has ever known. Shappi and her beloved brother Peyvand arrive with their parents in London - all cold weather and strange food - without a word of English. If adapting to a new culture isn't troubling enough, it soon becomes clear that the Ayatollah's henchmen are in pursuit. With the help of MI5, Shappi's family go into hiding. So apart from checking under the family car for bombs every morning, Shappi's childhood is like any other kids' - swings in the park, school plays, kiss-chase and terrorists. 'An extraordinary story...really funny and warm' Graham Norton Review: Britain's best young female comic by any yardstick * Guardian * [Shappi] has a fascinating story to tell, married to one of the warmest, most engaging performance styles I have seen * Observer * Shappi Khorsandi has been an endearing Iranian voice on the stand-up circuit for a number of years. This memoir arguably provides a better platform for her wealth of stories * Metro * A touching memoir * Independent * Written with an admirable lightness of touch and a novelist's eye for comic detail * Observer * Her book is filled with laughter, wonder and compassion ... It plunges us into the heart of a loud, loving Iranian family and vividly recreates the experience of a child being torn between two vastly different cultures * The Scotsman * Funny, charming and dramatic in equal meaure -- Michael Simkins * Daily Mail * As entertaining and witty as the woman herself * Jo Brand * 'Funny, charming and dramatic in equal measure ... this is a heartwarming book - engaging, touching and ... ultimately deeply rewarding' * Daily Mail * [a] funny, charming memoir * Metro * Author Biography: Shaparak Khorsandi is one of the country's finest comedians, having launched herself back in 2006 with her sell out Edinburgh show, Asylum Speaker. Shaparak's career has taken her to all corners of the globe, she has appeared on countless TV & Radio shows including; Live At The Apollo, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Have I Got News For You, QI, The Graham Norton Show and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. She is also the author of the bestselling childhood memoir, A Beginner's Guide To Acting English and Nina is Not OK.