This is an independent library of short, recorded audio readings by Canadian authors of literary fiction and poetry. It exists as a resource with two goals in mind. First, it's here to give readers — you — an opportunity to hear the work of a favourite writer, read the way the writer intended, and a chance to discover new favourites along the way.

Second, it aims to give this country's many acclaimed authors of fiction and poetry another way to meet you, one that doesn't involve being retailer- or media-approved. Retailers and the media are vital, no doubt, but their agendas are not always in sync with those of a rich and eclectic literary community.

The authors you'll find here have all had books published by recognized Canadian publishing houses. They're accomplished talents, and they believe in the power of literature. And since you've come here, you must be a believer too.

So click around and hear what's here. And keep coming back, because new readings are being added all the time.

My name is Trevor Cole. I'm a Canadian author and journalist who worked for about fifteen years as a magazine editor, putting together projects like this, but in print. Before that I spent a few years in radio, so you see how it all ties together. I started AuthorsAloud because I have a love of literary fiction and a desire to see our written arts flourish, our writers succeed, and our readers revel in abundance.

There are a couple of ways. First, support the author readings in your area. It's very encouraging to a writer to see friendly faces in the audience when he reads from something he or she slaved over for years.

Second, and more specifically, take the opportunity to talk to the writers you enjoy and encourage them to be involved in AuthorsAloud. The more writers who are featured here, the more readers who will come, and we'll all benefit.

AuthorsAloud features readings of literary fiction and poetry by Canadian writers or writers resident in Canada, whose work is published through recognized publishing houses. Writers who meet those criteria can reach me, Trevor Cole, through the contact page. From there, we'll discuss how to record your reading digitally and get it uploaded to the site.

No. At the moment, the limited costs involved are being covered by me, Trevor Cole.

You, the author, own the recording, and you can use it anywhere else you like (on your own website, say); you're lending it to AuthorsAloud indefinitely so that your voice can be part of the library of readings.

In addition to readings from their works of literary fiction and poetry, which is the mainstay of this site, many new contributors to AuthorsAloud will now offer a second recording, providing a moment of unscripted comment about their writing. So while the "reading" on each author's page will let you hear the prose or poetry that constitutes the writer's art, read the way the writer intended, in the "insight" recording, you'll also hear something of the thought or struggle that went into creating that work.

And these recorded insights aren't restricted to new contributors. Writers who have already provided AuthorsAloud with readings of their work will have the opportunity to add insights as well, giving readers a new reason to go back, listen to the work again and perhaps discover something new.

How will you know that an author has added an "insight"? That's easy. Just go to the At A Glance pages. Each of the authors who have contributed a recorded comment about their work will have their pictures marked with an identifying symbol, as in the example here.