Randy Boyagoda: Lords of Serendipity

Author Randy Boyagoda delivers his new novel that explores the absurd theatre of higher education in the twenty-first century.
About this Event

TPL presents novelist Randy Boyagoda in conversation with Parul Sehgal at the Toronto Reference Library's Appel Salon.

In his wildly funny and richly observed new novel Lords of Serendipity, acclaimed author Randy Boyagoda delivers the twenty-first-century global campus novel, a story that spans contemporary Sri Lanka and the United States, following two teenage girls with similar collegiate ambitions. What does the global scramble for elite education reveal about class, ambition, and inequality today? How do institutions meant to open doors so often become sites of exploitation, for domestic and international students, for parents, for those gatekeepers and intermediaries trying to extract as much as they offer?

Drawing on his own decades inside the academy as an English professor and U of T's first-ever Advisor on Civil Discourse, Boyagoda brings a novelist's eye and a scholar's insight to this wicked, humane satire of careerism, hope, and the lengths we'll go to for the people we love.

Join one of Canada's most celebrated literary novelists, in conversation with acclaimed critic Parul Sehgal, for an evening exploring ambition, inequality, and the absurd theatre of higher education in the twenty-first century.

Q&A and book signing to follow. Books available for purchase.

About this event’s guests:

Randy Boyagoda

Parul Sehgal

Read more:

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PLAN YOUR VISIT:

Location: Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street), 2nd floor

Time: Doors open 6:00pm, Event starts 7:00pm.

Tickets: Free registration required.

Ticket policy: We oversell these events to ensure that the greatest number of people have an opportunity to attend. Tickets guaranteed until 6:45pm or until capacity is reached. Seating first come, first served.

Bar: Beer/wine available for purchase (debit/credit only).

Accessibility: TPL is committed to accessibility. If you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request accommodation for this event, please contact [email protected] or 416-393-7099 at least three weeks prior to the event.

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This event is part of our signature Salon Series, where we host local and international authors, artists and thinkers in conversation about their new books and big ideas.

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Information Collection Notice: The personal information on this form is collected by the Toronto Public Library under the Public Libraries Act, sections 20(a), 20(c), and 20(d). The information will only be used for event and program registration, delivery and evaluation. Registrants may be contacted to fill out a brief survey following the program. Questions about how the library handles your information can be directed to Answerline staff at [email protected], 416-397-5981, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto ON M4W 2G8.