Tharoor Launches Love Poetry Book at IIM Kozhikode
Synopsis
Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor launched 'Seven Shades of Love, and One Light of Truth', a poetry collection by IIM Kozhikode Director Debashis Chatterjee, at the management institute on September 26 — a personal first for the prolific author-politician.
Key Takeaways
Shashi Tharoor launched a poetry collection at IIM Kozhikode on September 26, 2026 .
The book, titled 'Seven Shades of Love, and One Light of Truth' , was written by Debashis Chatterjee , Director of IIM Kozhikode.
Tharoor described the event as a personal first — launching a love poetry collection at a management institute.
Tharoor has authored over a hundred books and regularly participates in literary launches and cultural events.
The event included a Q&A session with students covering writing, politics, and more; a video recording is expected to follow.
A politician who has launched over a hundred books found himself, for the first time, doing it at a management institute — and the book was love poetry. Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor attended the launch of a poetry collection at IIM Kozhikode on Saturday, September 26, 2026, marking what he called a personal first.
The collection in question is titled 'Seven Shades of Love, and One Light of Truth', written by Debashis Chatterjee, the Director of IIM Kozhikode. Tharoor described it as 'a lovely collection of poems' and spoke warmly of the experience of addressing a young audience on the subject of love — a topic rarely on the syllabus at a business school.
Love, literature, and an unexpected campus
IIM Kozhikode, one of India's premier management institutions located in Kerala, is better known for case studies and corporate strategy than verse and romantic sentiment. That made the afternoon all the more striking. Tharoor noted he 'enjoyed speaking of love before a young and thoughtful audience' before fielding questions on writing, politics, and more.
The event is a quiet reminder that the institute's current director wears more than one hat. Chatterjee, an academic in a leadership role at one of the country's top business schools, has channelled a literary instinct into a full poetry collection — a rare crossover between institutional responsibility and creative expression.
Tharoor, books, and the long arc of a literary career
For Tharoor himself, the milestone sits within an extraordinary body of work. A Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram and former UN Under-Secretary-General, he has authored well over a hundred books spanning fiction, history, political commentary, and biography. Launching another author's work has become a fixture of his public life — but arriving at a management campus to celebrate a poetry collection clearly caught even him off guard, in the best way.
Tharoor added that a video from the event would follow, promising audiences a fuller look at the conversation that unfolded in the lecture hall. A politician, a poet-director, and a roomful of management students debating love — that footage may be worth watching.
Point of View
Not the arts, and the director's choice to write and publish poetry signals a gentle push toward humanising India's elite business education ecosystem. For Tharoor, lending his platform to a fellow author reinforces his positioning as a cultural ambassador as much as a politician. The broader arc here is one of India's premier institutions quietly signalling that leadership and creativity are not mutually exclusive.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What book did Shashi Tharoor launch at IIM Kozhikode?
Shashi Tharoor launched 'Seven Shades of Love, and One Light of Truth', a poetry collection written by IIM Kozhikode Director Debashis Chatterjee, at the institute on September 26, 2026.
Who is Debashis Chatterjee?
Debashis Chatterjee is the Director of IIM Kozhikode, one of India's premier management institutions in Kerala, and the author of the poetry collection launched at the event.
How many books has Shashi Tharoor written?
Shashi Tharoor has authored over a hundred books spanning fiction, history, political commentary, and biography over the course of his career.
Where is IIM Kozhikode located?
IIM Kozhikode is located in Kozhikode (also known as Calicut), Kerala, and is one of India's top Indian Institutes of Management.
Will there be a video from the IIM Kozhikode book launch event?
Yes, Tharoor stated in his post that a video from the event would follow, which is expected to capture his address and the Q&A session with students.
