Mumbai – The March meeting of the Italian Book Club in Mumbai, organized by the Italian Cultural Institute, will take place on March 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Title Waves Bookstore and will be dedicated to the Inferno of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, also in celebration of Dantedì, which falls on the same date. Particular attention will be given to two of the most intense and memorable cantos of the poem: Canto V, recounting the tragic story of Paolo and Francesca, and Canto XXXIII, which narrates the dramatic episode of Count Ugolino. Through Dante’s journey, the Inferno explores universal themes such as guilt, justice, desire, and moral responsibility. In Canto V, Paolo and Francesca emerge as symbols of overwhelming and forbidden love, whose story continues to evoke compassion and raise enduring questions about the relationship between passion and sin. In Canto XXXIII, the figure of Ugolino stands out in one of the darkest and most powerful narratives of medieval literature, marked by betrayal, vengeance, and despair. These two episodes, among the most celebrated of the Divine Comedy, exemplify Dante’s extraordinary ability to give voice to the damned and to transform their suffering into immortal poetry. The text may be read in Italian or in English translation, and the discussion is open to all enthusiasts of Italian literature and culture. (9colonne)