Randy Boyagoda
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Soharn Randy Boyagoda (born 1976) is a Canadian writer, intellectual and critic known for his novels ''Governor of the Northern Province'' (2006), ''Beggar's Feast'' (2011), ''Original Prin'' (2018), and ''Dante's Indiana'' (2021). He is also the author of a biography of Richard John Neuhaus (2015). He is the past principal and vice-president of the
University of St. Michael's College St Michael's College, officially the University of St. Michael's College, is a constituent college of the University of Toronto. It was founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil and retains its Catholic affiliation through its postgraduat ...
in Toronto, where he held the Basilian Chair in Christianity, Arts and Letters. He is currently the Vice-Dean, Undergraduate, of the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto. Boyagoda is also a professor in the University of Toronto's English Department, and currently chairs the
PEN Canada PEN Canada is one of the 148 centres of PEN International. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their r ...
Advisory Board. He served as President of
PEN Canada PEN Canada is one of the 148 centres of PEN International. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their r ...
from 2015-2017.


Biography

Born in
Oshawa Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the G ...
, Ontario, in 1976 to Sri Lankan Catholic parents, Boyagoda earned his bachelor of arts in English at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
(1999), and received his master's (2001) and doctorate (2005) in English from
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
. In 2005, Boyagoda was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Erasmus Institute at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
, where he was Concurrent Assistant Professor of English. In 2006, he accepted a position as Assistant Professor of American Studies in the English Department at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). That same year, he published his first novel, ''Governor of the Northern Province''. Boyagoda received early tenure in 2009, following the publication of his book ''Race, Immigration, and American Identity in the Fiction of Salman Rushdie, Ralph Ellison, and William Faulkner'' (2008). During his ten years at Ryerson, Boyagoda held a series of administrative positions, including Chair of the English Department and the founding Director of Zone Learning, a university-wide experiential learning program. In 2011, Boyagoda published his second novel, ''Beggar’s Feast'', followed by a biography of Fr. Richard John Neuhaus in 2015. From 2015 to 2017, Boyagoda served as the President of
PEN Canada PEN Canada is one of the 148 centres of PEN International. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their r ...
. In 2016, Boyagoda became the principal and vice-president of the
University of St. Michael's College St Michael's College, officially the University of St. Michael's College, is a constituent college of the University of Toronto. It was founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil and retains its Catholic affiliation through its postgraduat ...
and was appointed to the Basilian Chair in Christianity Arts and Letters. He also became a faculty member of the University of Toronto's English department. As a professor, Boyagoda teaches courses on the politics of the American novel and literary non-fiction, he also teaches the Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas, an exclusive seminar for students in their first-year of studies at the University of Toronto. Boyagoda’s third novel, ''Original Prin'', was published in 2018. Boyagoda is now researching the relationship between transnationalism and nationalism in the creation of the "Great American Novel,” in addition to working on a sequel to ''Original Prin'', titled ''Dante’s Indiana'', anticipated September 2021. Boyagoda is a chair on Scotiabank Giller Prize Jury. Boyagoda lives in Toronto’s East End with his wife and four daughters.


Work

Boyagoda's first novel, ''Governor of the Northern Province'', was a finalist for the
Scotiabank Giller Prize The Giller Prize (sponsored as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), is a literary award given to a Canadian author of a novel or short story collection published in English (including translation) the previous year, after an annual juried competition be ...
and published to national acclaim. The deeply satirical novel told the tale of Sam Bokarie, an ex–African warlord who moves to small-town Canada to capitalize on its zealous hospitality. ''
Books in Canada ''Books in Canada'' was a monthly magazine that reviewed Canadian literature, published in print form between 1971 and 2008. In its heyday it was the most influential literary magazine in Canada. Foundation One of the co-founders of ''Books in Ca ...
'' commented, "In his take-no-prisoners novel about politics, immigration, and rock-solid Canadian naiveté, Randy Boyagoda emerges as the Evelyn Waugh of the North." It was described by the ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' as an "auspicious debut." His second book, a monograph based on his doctoral dissertation, was published in 2008. In this book, he argues that the work of
Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Wes ...
,
Ralph Ellison Ralph Waldo Ellison (March 1, 1913 – April 16, 1994) was an American writer, literary critic, and scholar best known for his novel ''Invisible Man'', which won the National Book Award in 1953. He also wrote ''Shadow and Act'' (1964), a collecti ...
, and
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of ...
reveals a century-long transformation of how American identity and experience have been imagined, and that these transformations have been provoked by new forms of
immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
and by unanticipated mixings of cultures and ethnic groups. His scholarly work (on such authors as
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...
,
Don DeLillo Donald Richard DeLillo (born November 20, 1936) is an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter and essayist. His works have covered subjects as diverse as television, nuclear war, sports, the complexities of language, per ...
, and
Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor (March 25, 1925August 3, 1964) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries. She was a Southern writer who often ...
) has also appeared in journals including the ''Southern Literary Journal'', ''Studies in American Culture'', and ''South Asian Review''. Boyagoda's second novel, ''Beggar's Feast'', has been published around the world to critical acclaim, by Penguin Canada in 2011, Perera-Hussain (Sri Lanka) and Penguin US in 2012, Harper-Collins India in 2013, and Penguin UK in 2014. Told in four parts, the novel traces the story of Sam Kandy, who is born to low prospects in a Ceylon village in 1899 and dies a hundred years later as the wealthy headman of the same village—a self-made shipping magnate and the father of 16 who's been married three times and widowed twice. Praised by ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' as "a post-colonial Gatsby", Sam Kandy is the center of a novel about family, pride, and ambition. Shelagh Rogers of CBC Radio called the novel "swashbuckling", while the ''National Post'' described Boyagoda's narrative voice as being "as lush as the tropical landscape of Ceylon" and the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
described it as "a gleaming novel that tells the tale of a Ceylonese Odysseus." ''Beggar's Feast'' was nominated for the 2012
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award ( ga, Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. ...
. and named a 2012
New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...
Editor's Choice selection. In 2015, Boyagoda published a biography of
Richard John Neuhaus Richard John Neuhaus (May 14, 1936–January 8, 2009) was a prominent Christian cleric (first in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, then ELCA pastor and later as a Catholic priest) and writer. Born in Canada, Neuhaus moved to the United Stat ...
, a project supported by the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC; french: Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, CRSH) is a Canadian federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and traini ...
of Canada. Neuhaus (1936-2009) was the prolific and influential
Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
and New York intellectual whose lifelong effort was to argue for the place of religion in American public life, something he did as a radical Leftist and Lutheran minister and as a Catholic priest. Boyagoda's biography, entitled ''Richard John Neuhaus: A Life in the Public Square'', has met with wide critical attention, with notable reviews running in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Globe and Mail. Boyagoda’s third novel, ''Original Prin'', was published by
Biblioasis Biblioasis is a Canadian independent bookstore and publishing company, based in Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario.Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' called the novel “fresh and utterly original.” The sequel, ''Dante’s Indiana'', was published in 2021. As a literary and cultural commentator, Boyagoda is a frequent contributor to magazines and newspapers including the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'', ''
Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals (staff members and administrators). A subscription is required to rea ...
'', the ''
Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip ...
'', ''
Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...
'', the ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', ''
First Things ''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...
'', ''
the Walrus ''The Walrus'' is an independent, non-profit Canadian media organization. It is multi-platform and produces an 8-issue-per-year magazine and online editorial content that includes current affairs, fiction, poetry, and podcasts, a national s ...
'', the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', the ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'', and ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', the ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' and ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. His criticism includes reviews of
Enid Blyton Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...
,
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
,
Orhan Pamuk Ferit Orhan Pamuk (born 7 June 1952) is a Turkish novelist, screenwriter, academic, and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. One of Turkey's most prominent novelists, his work has sold over thirteen million books in sixty-three lan ...
,
Gabriel Garcia Marquez In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
, and
Jose Saramago Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...
, among others.


Bibliography

* ''Governor of the Northern Province: A Novel'' (2006) * ''Race, Immigration and American Identity in the Fiction of Salman Rushdie, Ralph Ellison, and William Faulkner'' (2008) * ''Beggar's Feast: A Novel'' (2011-2014) * ''Richard John Neuhaus: A Life in the Public Square'' (2015) *''Original Prin'' (2018) *''Dante's Indiana'' (2021)


References


External links

* /stmikes.utoronto.ca/about/principal/ Office of the Principal - University of St. Michael's College:Link* /english.utoronto.ca/facultystaff/facultyprofiles/Boyagoda__Randy.htm University of Toronto English Department Profile:Link* /pencanada.ca/about/biographies-of-board-members/#boyagoda PEN Canada Profile:Link {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyagoda, Randy 1976 births Canadian male novelists Canadian people of Sri Lankan descent People from Oshawa Writers from Ontario Toronto Metropolitan University faculty Canadian writers of Asian descent Living people University of Toronto faculty 21st-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian male writers Canadian male non-fiction writers 21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers