Welcome to our International Book Club
8 online sessions
Come and explore the question What does it mean to be human? through great short stories and conversations with a community of fellow readers
Next Session: October 10thCurrently Reading: The Grand Inquisitor - Fiódor Dostoievski
Guest: Stefano Santasilia
Session 2
The Grand Inquisitor
F. Dostoevsky
October 10, 2026
Guest
Dr. Stefano Santasilia
Università Pegaso, Italia
Get a firsthand feel for our international reading community before joining! You are warmly invited to our free first session on Saturday, September 5, 2026. Together with our guest speaker and hosts, we’ll explore Kafka's iconic short story as a gateway to our year-long journey. Registration is completely free—claim your spot and start reading with us!
About the Club
At Panorama, we believe that literature is far more than a pastime; it is a mirror held up to the human condition. As an initiative of The Phoenix Institute, our book club brings together readers from across the globe to engage with profound, thought-provoking short stories by world-renowned authors
How does it work?
Frequency & Length: 8 Saturday sessions per year, 1h 30m each.
Platform: Live on Zoom (with access to recordings for full-pass members).
Global Schedule:
Mexico: 10:00 AM (UTC -06:00)
Colombia: 11:00 AM (UTC -05:00)
Europe: 5:00 PM CET / 6:00 PM CEST
Should I read in advance?
Yes. Once you’re subscribed, you’ll receive a Reading Guide so you can come to each session having already read and prepared the text.
Where can I find the readings?
You’re free to choose the edition and language that work best for you, so you’re responsible for obtaining the books yourself. Inside the Members’ Area, you’ll find links to our recommended editions.
How can I subscribe?
Become a member (60 USD) and get full access to the 8 sessions, recordings, and extra material, or
Pay per session (10 USD each) and join live for the one that interests you most.
Our Hosts
María Isabel Giraldo
Maria Isabel Giraldo is a Colombian lawyer and impact consultant, and a Phoenix Institute alumni. A serial book club organizer, she loves reading the classics in community and connecting literature with everyday life and our search for meaning, questions she also explores through the podcast and newsletter De Dos en Dos. She enjoys singing, hiking in Colombia’s mountains, and the combination of books, coffee, and friends.
Diego I. Rosales
Diego I. Rosales is a philosopher and translator. His research focuses on the philosophy of the body and the philosophy of religion. He has published the books Tramas del yo (Weavings of the Self, 2024) and Antropología del deseo (Anthropology of Desire, 2020). He is a friend of Saint Augustine, Charles Péguy, Professor Tolkien, and Simone Weil. He loves beer and every single variety of cheese that exists in the world. He is an Associate Professor at Universidad Panamericana, México.
Join us
☆
Join us ☆
Subscribe now
Full-year Pass (7 sessions + Pilot). Gain complete, unrestricted access to the entire program. Includes instant entry to the private Member Area, direct Zoom links, and post-session video recordings.
Enjoy single-session flexibility. Perfect if you want to join for specific authors or titles on our calendar. Includes a direct Zoom link and reading guide for your selected session.
The 2026-2027 Program
We gather online on eight Saturdays throughout the year for 90-minute live discussions, kicking off with a free pilot session on September 5, 2026. Review our reading list and dates below to discover the classic texts we will explore together throughout the season.
Experience the Phoenix Community for Free!
Join our pilot session to discuss Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.
🗓 Date: September 5, 2026
🕒 Time: 10:00 AM Mexico (UTC -6) | 11:00 AM Colombia (UTC -5) | 6:00 PM CEST (UTC +2) / 5:00 PM CET (UTC +1)
-
All live meetings are recorded. If you hold a Full-Year Pass, you can log in to your Member Area anytime to watch the recording and access the discussion notes.
-
All sessions are conducted in English, but you are welcome to read the assigned short stories in any language or edition you prefer.
We do not provide the texts directly, as most of them are not in the public domain. However, you will find links to the recommended editions in the Member Area.
-
Absolutely. If you purchase an individual session for $10 USD and decide you want to join the complete 7-session journey, just get in touch with our team. We will happily credit your $10 USD single session payment toward the $60 USD Full-Year Pass so you can unlock full access to the Member Area without paying twice.