diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..131c24d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# GOWERC
+
+clone of http://werc.cat-v.org/ in go.
+
+## features
+* virtual hosting
+* render markdown, html, plain text
+* serve files
+* read content from zip file
+
+## building
+
+### with go
+
+	go get -d bitbucket.org/mischief/gowerc
+	go install bitbucket.org/mischief/gowerc
+
+### in docker
+
+check out the repo and run:
+
+	make
+
+## configuration
+
+see the example configuration files in [werc](werc)
+
+### using a zip file
+
+zip a directory up and pass it to gowerc's `-root` option.
+
+	zip -r werc.zip werc
+
+## running
+
+	gowerc -l :80 -root werc/
+
+with a zip file:
+
+	gowerc -l :80 -root werc.zip
+
+### in docker
+
+	docker run --rm --name gowerc -v $PWD:/opt mischief/gowerc -root /opt/werc.zip
+