World Horror Convention Will Hit Austin in 2011

For all of you horror fans who just can't get enough during Fantastic Fest:

The World Horror Society has named Austin, Texas as the location for the 2011 World Horror Convention (WHC). The international gathering of horror's brightest talents and their fans will take place from April 28 through May 1, 2011. Does it help that Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world?

"Texas has a long history of strange fiction, serving as home to such luminaries as Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, and Joe R. Lansdale," says Convention Co-Chair Nate Southard in a press release posted to his website. "Bringing the World Horror Convention to Austin is a natural. It's a vibrant city with a taste for the eccentric and a love of the arts. Further, its central, southern location makes it convenient for travelers throughout the US, and visitors from abroad will have no trouble reaching us either."

WHC 2011 has confirmed author Sarah Langan as its first guest of honor. Ms. Langan's latest novel Audrey's Door will be released in late 2009 and has already been optioned by The Weinstein Company for film.

Two other guests of honor have been announced this week: authors Brian Keene and Joe R. Lansdale (pictured at right). You might recall that Bubba Ho-tep, filmed in Texas, was based on one of Lansdale's short stories.

From the WHC website: "The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry including publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider's networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary."

[Photo credit: "Joe R. Lansdale" by BioKill. Found on Flickr; used under Creative Commons license.]