Narrative. We’ve got a story to tell you.

Narrative is dedicated to advancing literature in the digital age by supporting the finest writing talent and encouraging reading across communities and generations, in schools, and around the globe. Our digital library of new literature by celebrated authors and by the best new and emerging writers is available for free.

Since 2003 Narrative has been at the forefront of a new kind of library—a global meeting place, if you will, where readers and writers meet. We publish work of the highest literary caliber, offer opportunities for both established and emerging writers, host contests in search of a new generation of talent, provide reading and writing mentorship to underserved schools around the globe, and every day, all year we offer our expansive library of thousands of stories, poems, essays, cartoons, and more to readers everywhere for free.

Narrative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations, grants, and grassroots support. To see more about our mission and vision, here’s a short video about Narrative For Schools, just one aspect of the work we do. We’re hoping you’ll be moved to donate—in which case, click here, and receive our abiding gratitude.

We believe there’s a hungry reader in all of us. It’s been that way since the beginning of time, since nights of trading tales around the campfire. This screen is our campfire.

We believe the digital age represents a unique opportunity to create renewed, vital audiences for literary excellence.

We believe that excellence, equality, and inclusivity go hand in hand.

We believe there are exemplars of the art of writing—some known, some yet to be known—all deserving to be published beautifully and read widely.

We believe emerging writers need support, encouragement, and mentoring.

We believe students and readers everywhere deserve a great and free modern library, inside of which they can get deliriously, entertainingly, profoundly lost. And found.

We believe in providing students and teachers with a free, open-access library of literature and learning materials that empower students of diverse backgrounds to flex and celebrate their unique voices while gaining educational tools for future success.

We believe that stories are what bind us, remind us, and transcend us, in our time, and for all time.

The $5,000 Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative. Recent winners include Sarah Balakrishnan, Gbenga Adesina, Brenden Willey, Paisley Rekdal, Javier Zamora, Ocean Vuong, and Anthony Marra. For a complete list, look here.

Narrative For Schools is our educational program that provides free, open-access resources to help teachers deepen their students’ love of reading and writing. We offer the entirety of our curated library, video tutorials, reading guides, the High School Writing Contest, a search the library by theme tool, and other resources to encourage students of all ages to discover a love of reading and storytelling, cornerstones to building empathy and community.

The Narrative High School Writing Contest inspires students to find their voices beyond the confines of a classroom, inviting them to write across genres and offering them an opportunity to be mentored and published alongside many of today’s celebrated writers. Read our recent winners here.

The Narrative Storyteller Prize is awarded each year at Narrative Night to a writer whose body of work represents a major accomplishment in our time and, in our opinion, stands among the best work of all time. Our most recent Storyteller Honoree is Anna Deavere Smith.

Narrative’s writers have been awarded the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, Pushcart Prizes, MacArthur “Genius” Grants, and many other laurels and prizes. You’ll find a complete list here.

Now, friends, pull up a chair, hold on to your bus strap, turn up the volume on your phone: we’ve got a story to tell you. We’ve got thousands, in fact. And poems and essays and videos too. We often say that we know ourselves and our world by the stories we tell. Thanks for letting us share some tales with you.