Governor of the Northern Province

We are pumped, as the young folks say (Do they? Perhaps not. We'll stick with pumped and call it kicking it old school if asked).

Why pumped? Toronto author RANDY BOYAGODA is coming to the Library this Saturday, April 28th. He'll be speaking at 2:00pm in the Program Room (main floor).

His 2006 debut novel, Governor of the Northern Province, got rave reviews all over the place as well as a nomination for the Giller prize. The book shows what happens when an African warlord ends up as a convenience store clerk in small town Ontario. Great satire. A nice balance to some of the more earnest Can Lit fare.

Boyagoda is also a professor of American literature at Ryerson University in Toronto. You may have seen his reviews or essays in places like Harper’s, The Walrus, the National Post and The Globe and Mail. He reviewed Norman Mailer's new novel for the Globe recently.

Here is some critical raves to convince you that you MUST come down Saturday and meet a rising star:

“Scathing and unpredictable ... a novel of considerable accomplishment; Randy Boyagoda's merciless prose marks him as a talent to watch."–Trevor Cole, author of Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life

"Nice liberal Canada skewered for dinner: A T.O. smartypants creates a war criminal to send up smug Canuck hypocrisy and gets a Giller Prize nod for his trouble" —Toronto Star

"Lively...zeroes in on various targets without slackening pace: colonialism, foreign aid, Anglo reserve and the exalted status of hockey all take stinging hits. Despite this novel’s scathing wit and sardonic tone, a hint of idealism sneaks in after all. An auspicious debut" — National Post

"Boyagoda’s writing is precisely calibrated to expose and ridicule the cruel, the absurd and the merely foolish.”“…scathing portrayal of Canadian smugness and naivete, brilliantly funny, and meant to sting.” “…a sharply intelligent novel, both entertaining and disquieting." —Winnipeg Free Press

"...a defiantly satirical novel..." "Richler’s successor?" — Embassy

[No, I don't know what "Embassy" is either. Perhaps a hip Toronto zine? A must-read blog? Regardless, an excellent quote. Awfully big shoes are Mr. Richlers!]