CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. — Sevens, the debut novel by Thomas Kurian Theakanath, was formally released on September 26, 2026, at the ALF Art & Literature Festival at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts. The book was released by Dr. Sunil P. Elayidom, the noted Malayalam literary critic and writer.
Described by its tagline as “a novel about friendship, football and a changing Kerala,” Sevens is a soccer-themed novel that follows its characters through the bonds of friendship and the transformations of contemporary Kerala.
The release ceremony was followed by a discussion with Sreevalsan Vallath about the novel that touched upon the author’s motivation to write it in English, the relevance of Roger Milla-the legendary Cameroonian soccer player- as a prominent character in the novel, and the unique narrative style of the novel.
The September 26 launch event brought the novel before an audience of literature enthusiasts at one of the Bay Area’s prominent celebrations of art and letters, with Dr. Elayidom formally presenting the book to the public.
Sevens is available now. More information about the book is available at sevens-a-novel.com, and updates can be followed on Instagram at @sevens.a.novel.
Thomas Kurian Theakanath is a Los Gatos–based writer. Sevens is his debut novel in English. He has fictional and non-fictional works published in Malayalam.