Hajar J. Woodland

Hajar's a British standup and singer who's been gigging for more than 15 years in the UK and Europe. She's performed as a singer and compere at top-tier corporate events and at luxury venues for stars such as Steve Vai, Ron White, TV chef Monica Galetti, and the family of the late Sean Connery.

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She started standup in 2021 and has since completed Soho Theatre's sought-after Comedy Plus Lab, beaten the Comedy Store gong, reached the Funny Women semi-finals, and now runs her own monthly sell-out comedy night at Cellar Magnifique in Surrey. 

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Her blend of confessional and observational comedy's warm and self-deprecating with bitter notes, and explores her Muslim background, daddy issues, non-motherhood, and the limits of her own labels in a label-obsessed society. She likes to combine standup and singing on musical comedy sets and is working on her first show, First Love, which she brought as a WIP to the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe.​

 

Hajar has a history degree from King's College London and a master's in creative writing. A professional copywriter, podcaster and content producer, she's been a judge at the British Podcast Awards, was published by Virago, and also wrote McLaren Racing's first-ever sustainability report. She's made programmes for BBC Radio and written for Stylist, The Independent and The Times. 

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She's appeared as a guest on Mathew Syed's BBC podcast Sideways and Radio 4's Woman's Hour, has spoken at literary events including Bath Literature Festival and the Women's Prize for Fiction with Kate Mosse and Kathy Lette, and interviewed Booker-winning novelist Douglas Stuart.

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She loves Formula 1, examining social and cultural phenomena, and knows far too much about Friends.

 

Hajar's available for gigs and presenting work, and would love to be a guest on your podcast.