Randy Boyagoda

Randy Boyagoda is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts and Science, where he also serves as Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Education and Provostial Advisor on Civil Discourse. He holds a BA from the University of Toronto, an MA from Boston University, and a PhD from Boston University. His administrative leadership focuses on undergraduate programs and fostering constructive campus discourse.

Boyagoda's research centers on:

• American literary traditions
• The evolution of the novel as a form
• Twentieth-century and contemporary literature

His interdisciplinary approach connects literature with geopolitics, religious identity, and postcolonial theory, often through satirical and critical lenses.

His publications showcase two dominant strands: inventive novels exploring spiritual and societal themes (e.g., Dante’s Indiana, Original Prin) and scholarly critiques examining authors like Faulkner, Rushdie, and O’Connor through postcolonial and theological frameworks. Recurring motifs include immigrant experiences, moral complexity in modernity, and the intersection of faith with public life.

Boyagoda has received significant recognition, including:

• Scotiabank Giller Prize nomination
• IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize nomination
• New York Times Editor’s Choice Selection
• Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year

Beyond academia, he contributes to public intellectual discourse as a former President of PEN Canada (2015–2017), frequent media commentator, and essayist for publications like the New York Times, Atlantic, and Financial Times.