Shazia Mirza
Encyclopedia
Shazia Mirza is a British
comedian
and columnist
from Birmingham
, England
.
i parents, Mohammed and Sarwat Mirza. She has 3 brothers, Cameron (born 1971), who works in finance
; Imran (born 1973), who works for an IT
company; and Razwan (born 1977), who works for a sports channel as well as a sister, Sabrina (1980), who is at drama
school.
Mirza's parents had an arranged marriage
. She has written that her parents "would admit that they're not compatible, and that it isn't really a happy marriage at all." They did not believe in arranged marriage for their children.
Earlier in her life, she was a science teacher in a high school and taught Dizzee Rascal
, now a rapper and song artist.
career, she gained UK-wide publicity in the months when the world was coming to terms with the September 11, 2001 attacks
. This was because at this time she would perform her act in recognizable hijab
dress and begin with the deadpan remark, "My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that's what it says on my pilot’s licence". In April 2007, she presented a documentary on BBC Three
called F*** Off, I'm a Hairy Woman.
newspaper since 2004. In 2006, she also began writing fortnightly columns in The New Statesman
magazine.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Background
Shazia was born as the eldest daughter in Birmigham to PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i parents, Mohammed and Sarwat Mirza. She has 3 brothers, Cameron (born 1971), who works in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
; Imran (born 1973), who works for an IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
company; and Razwan (born 1977), who works for a sports channel as well as a sister, Sabrina (1980), who is at drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
school.
Mirza's parents had an arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
. She has written that her parents "would admit that they're not compatible, and that it isn't really a happy marriage at all." They did not believe in arranged marriage for their children.
Earlier in her life, she was a science teacher in a high school and taught Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
, now a rapper and song artist.
Career
About a year into her stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
career, she gained UK-wide publicity in the months when the world was coming to terms with the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. This was because at this time she would perform her act in recognizable hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
dress and begin with the deadpan remark, "My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that's what it says on my pilot’s licence". In April 2007, she presented a documentary on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
called F*** Off, I'm a Hairy Woman.
As a columnist
Shazia has been a regular columnist for The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper since 2004. In 2006, she also began writing fortnightly columns in The New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
magazine.
Awards and recognition
- 2003, Newspaper The Observer lists her as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.
- 2008, Awarded Columnist of the year at PPA AwardsPPA AwardsThe PPA Awards are presented annually by the Periodical Publishers Association to recognise and reward editorial and publishing excellence and outstanding achievements of the individuals, publications and brands in the British magazine sector....
2008 for her articles in the New Statesman magazine. - March 2009, Listed on the inaugural Muslim Women's Power List as one of the 20 most successful Muslim women in the UK.
- Semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing season 6Last Comic Standing 6The 6th season of Last Comic Standing began airing in May 2008. This competitive reality show on NBC was hosted by Bill Bellamy and a new co-host, Fearne Cotton...
.