About

Nushu's Chair with Kivu Writers, Rwanda

Nushu believe that stories really do change the world.

The word Nushu was given to a language invented by women in China, in an era when women were forbidden from learning to read or write. They would paint the language on fans, sew it into dresses, and write secret books passed down from mother to daughter.

We have adopted it to remind us that people will always strive to communicate their stories, no matter what the obstacles.

We exist to achieve three main objectives:

  • To tell the stories of individuals and groups who have lived through extraordinary circumstances.
  • Support translators who are passionate about bringing previously untranslated works to the English speaking market.
  • Develop and promote learning and educational materials that support the advancement of literature, storytelling, and the preservation of culture through creative writing.

We seek to work with international charities, organisations, networks and individuals on projects of humanitarian and cultural importance. Helping to grow stories of fact, fiction, and those in between, that may otherwise never reach publication due to the costs involved, or due to censorship.

Nushu has been a constituted voluntary organisation in the UK since October 2012.