Manu S Pillai’s work The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore is a treasure house of information based on deep research that traverses many eras.

Manu is one of the youngest upcoming and promising authors of India. His seminal work The Ivory Throne is a 694-page saga on the remarkable life of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi – the last and forgotten Queen of the House of Travancore. A gripping story of how a Queen became a commoner and faded into obscurity.

Pillai’s age and countenance belies the stupendous work that he has managed to accomplish in his debut novel. The 31st session of An Author’s Afternoon transported the audience to a different era. Flashes of royal politics, scheming, betrayals and the onslaught of time on a moribund society steeped deep-rooted traditions and rituals were the ingredients of a riveting story of real life happenings which came to life through the narratives of the Guest Author.