Dan Brown to release new Robert Langdon novel Inferno in May

The book's title was revealed today thanks to thousands of Brown's fans using the hashtag #DanBrownTODAY on Twitter and Facebook to complete an online mosaic spelling out the title (see below).

According to Brown’s US publisher Doubleday, Inferno will take place mainly in Italy and the book will follow Langdon as he is “drawn into a harrowing world centred on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces.”

The “masterpiece” alluded to is the first part of Dante’s landmark 14^th century literary masterpiece The Divine Comedy, which is also called Inferno.

Discussing his new novel, Brown said: “Although I studied Dante’s 'Inferno' as a student, it wasn’t until recently, while researching in Florence, that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante’s work on the modern world.

“With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm…a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways.”

Little else is known about the book at this stage, but it will be released on Tuesday 14 May.

All of Brown's novels featuring Robert Langdon have been turned into Hollywood blockbusters. The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, both of which star Tom Hanks, were released in 2006 and 2009 respectively, and Columbia Pictures is currently working on a big-screen adaptation of The Lost Symbol.