Dr. Shashi Tharoor is an author, diplomat, politician, and public intellectual. Currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, he earlier held a long and successful career at the United Nations, rising to the post of Under-Secretary-General. A celebrated writer and public intellectual, he has authored over 23 books across genres including fiction, history, politics, and religion. His notable works include The Great Indian Novel, Inglorious Empire, Why I Am a Hindu, and An Era of Darkness, which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2019. He has also been recognized with the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award, and most recently, the 21st P. Kesavadev Literary Award (2025). He is one of India’s most admired voices in literature, politics, and culture.