Translators were confined to underground bunker for TWO MONTHS while they worked on Dan Brown's new novel Inferno Translators worked in windowless bunker at an Italian publishing house Chosen 11 were given cover stories to hide the true nature of their work New novel references Dante's Inferno which depicts a journey through hell By Lucy Crossley Shrouded in secrecy: Translators working on Dan Brown's new novel Inferno were banned from discussing the plot and made to work in an underground bunker to keep the text a mystery It is a scene that could have come out of one of Dan Brown's own novels - 11 people confined inside an underground bunker keeping a closely-guarded secret from the rest of the world. However, instead of a mystery to be solved by Brown's hero Robert Langdon, this was the reality for translators toiling over the Da Vinci Code author's latest tome. Such was the publisher's desire to release Brown's new novel Inferno in several languages on the same day, the translators are said to have found themselves cooped up in a high-security basement working seven days a week until at least 8pm. The English translation of Inferno is 'hell', and it would be hard to imagine a more devilish existence then that of the linguists, who were tasked with reading the new novel day and night. The chosen 11 were banned from taking mobile phones into the windowless bunker at the Milan headquarters of Italian publishing house, Mondadori. Their laptops were nailed down to their workstations and the translators, from France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Italy, were only permitted to access the internet via a solitary supervised shared computer, according to newspaper The Independent on Sunday. Security surrounding the project was so tight that although the translators were allowed to eat their meals at the Mondadori staff canteen, each was given a cover story to conceal what they were really up to between February and April 2012. When not in use the prized manuscripts were stored in safes, guarded as tightly as the valuable artworks depicted in Brown's popular mystery thrillers. The plot of Inferno has been shrouded in secrecy, but is believed to make repeated references to Dante's Inferno, the first part of epic poem The Divine Comedy, which depicts the narrator's journey through hell. Publishers were so scared that the translators might pirate the text before the publication date each of the 11 was banned from discussing the plot, forced to sign in and out each time they entered the bunker and to keep a record of all their activities, including cigarette and meal breaks. Going globall: The new novel by Dan Brown, above, being released on May 14 in English, French, German, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Portuguese versions Italian translator Annamaria Raffo told magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, which is also published by Berlusconi family-owned Mondadori, that there was initially 'distrust' among the group, although by the end of the ordeal the bunker had a 'playground atmosphere'. A French translator, Carole Delporte added that the experience had enabled the linguists to immerse themselves completely in the text. Foreign versions of English language books have usually been published after the originals, causing publishers to loose money. The blog, Love German Books, has stated that Brown's last novel, The Lost Symbol, had already climbed to number two on the country's bestseller list by the time the German version was released - one month after the English edition hit the shelves. Inferno will instead be published on May 14, and released in English, French, German, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Portuguese versions on the same day. Big screen hero: Tom Hanks, right, has played Brown's hero Robert Langdon, in the film version of novels The Da Vinci Code, which also starred Audrey Tatou, left It is the fourth of Brown's books to feature symbology expert Robert Langdon, who was portrayed by actor Tom Hanks in the film versions of previous novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. According to the description of the novel on Amazon,Inferno is 'set in the heart of Europe, where Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centred around one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces.' He has said of the new book: '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. The 48-year-old's books have previously been translated into 52 languages and as of last year had sold more than 200 million copies combined, while the Tom hanks films have taken around £800 million. Inspiration: Brown's new novel is thought to reference Dante's Inferno, which depicts the narrator's journey through hell. Pictured is a medieval interpretation of the tale