diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Copyright (c) 2015 Moritz Kiefer
+
+Permission to use, copy, modify, and/or distribute this software for any purpose
+with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice
+and this permission notice appear in all copies.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH
+REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
+FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT,
+INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS
+OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER
+TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF
+THIS SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/Setup.hs b/Setup.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/Setup.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import Distribution.Simple
+main = defaultMain
diff --git a/emacs-keys.cabal b/emacs-keys.cabal
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/emacs-keys.cabal
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+name:                emacs-keys
+version:             0.0.1.0
+synopsis:            library to parse emacs style keybinding into the modifiers and the chars
+description:         Allows parsing emacs style keybindings like "M-a", "C-M-a" or
+                     "M-Return". For convenience a TH helper that turns parse
+                     errors into compile errors is also provided.
+homepage:            https://github.com/cocreature/emacs-keys
+bug-reports:         https://github.com/cocreature/emacs-keys
+license:             ISC
+license-file:        LICENSE
+author:              Moritz Kiefer
+maintainer:          moritz.kiefer@purelyfunctional.org
+-- copyright:           
+category:            Parsing
+build-type:          Simple
+-- extra-source-files:  
+cabal-version:       >=1.10
+
+
+source-repository    head
+  type:              git
+  location:          https://github.com/cocreature/emacs-keys.git
+
+library
+  exposed-modules:     EmacsKeys
+  other-modules:       EmacsKeys.Parser
+                     , EmacsKeys.TH
+  build-depends:       base >=4.8 && < 4.9
+                     , template-haskell >= 2.10 && < 2.11
+                     , xkbcommon >= 0.0 && < 0.1
+                     , th-lift >= 0.7 && < 0.8
+                     , split >= 0.2 && < 0.3
+  hs-source-dirs:      src
+  default-language:    Haskell2010
+  ghc-options:         -Wall
+
+test-suite tasty
+  default-language:    Haskell2010
+  type:                exitcode-stdio-1.0
+  hs-source-dirs:      test
+  main-is:             Test.hs
+  build-depends:       emacs-keys
+                     , base >= 4.8 && < 4.9
+                     , tasty >= 0.10 && < 0.11
+                     , tasty-hspec >= 1.1 && < 1.2
+                     , tasty-quickcheck >= 0.8 && < 0.9
+                     , xkbcommon >= 0.0 && < 0.1
+  ghc-options:         -Wall
+
+test-suite doctests
+  default-language:    Haskell2010
+  type:                exitcode-stdio-1.0
+  hs-source-dirs:      test
+  main-is:             Doctests.hs
+  build-depends:       base >= 4.8 && < 4.9
+                     , doctest >= 0.10 && < 0.11
diff --git a/src/EmacsKeys.hs b/src/EmacsKeys.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/EmacsKeys.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
+-- | Main module that reexports the other ones
+module EmacsKeys
+  (module EmacsKeys.Parser
+  ,module EmacsKeys.TH) where
+
+import EmacsKeys.Parser
+import EmacsKeys.TH
diff --git a/src/EmacsKeys/Parser.hs b/src/EmacsKeys/Parser.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/EmacsKeys/Parser.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
+-- | provides the parser functions
+module EmacsKeys.Parser 
+  (Modifier(..)
+  ,parseEmacsKeys)
+  where
+
+import Data.Char
+import Data.Either
+import Data.List.Split
+import Language.Haskell.TH.Lift
+import Text.XkbCommon
+
+-- | Represents the accepted modifiers 'C','M','S'
+data Modifier = Ctrl | Meta | Shift deriving (Show,Eq,Ord)
+
+deriveLift ''Modifier
+
+parseModifier :: String -> Either Modifier String
+parseModifier s = case lookup s modifiers of
+                    Just m -> Left m
+                    Nothing -> Right s
+
+parseKeys :: [Either Modifier String] -> Either String ([Modifier],[Keysym])
+parseKeys keys =
+  fmap (\keysyms -> (mods,keysyms)) $
+  sequence $
+  fmap (parseKeysym .
+        if shift
+           then fmap toUpper
+           else id) $
+  unparsedSyms
+  where (mods,unparsedSyms) = partitionEithers keys
+        shift = Shift `elem` mods
+
+parseKeysym :: String -> Either String Keysym
+parseKeysym s =  case keysymFromName s of
+                   Just ks -> Right ks
+                   Nothing -> Left $ "Invalid key: \"" ++ s ++ "\""
+
+-- | Parse a string into a list of modifiers and keysyms
+-- If Shift is part of the modifiers, the keysyms are converted to upper case
+--
+-- >>> parseEmacsKeys "M-a"
+-- Right ([Meta],[Keysym 97])
+--
+-- >>> parseEmacsKeys "Return"
+-- Right ([],[Keysym 65293])
+--
+-- >>> parseEmacsKeys "S-a"
+-- Right ([Shift],[Keysym 65])
+parseEmacsKeys :: String -> Either String ([Modifier],[Keysym])
+parseEmacsKeys = parseKeys . fmap parseModifier . splitOn "-"
+
+modifiers :: [(String,Modifier)]
+modifiers = [("C",Ctrl),("M",Meta),("S",Shift)]
diff --git a/src/EmacsKeys/TH.hs b/src/EmacsKeys/TH.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/EmacsKeys/TH.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
+-- | provides TH helpers
+module EmacsKeys.TH
+  (mkEmacsKeys)
+  where
+import EmacsKeys.Parser
+import Language.Haskell.TH
+import Language.Haskell.TH.Lift
+import Text.XkbCommon
+
+-- | TH helper, to turn parse errors into compile time errors
+mkEmacsKeys :: String -> Q Exp
+mkEmacsKeys s =
+  case parseEmacsKeys s of
+    Left err -> error (show err)
+    Right (mods,keysyms) ->
+      [|($(lift mods)
+        ,$(ListE <$>
+           traverse (\(Keysym x) ->
+                       AppE (VarE (mkName "Keysym")) <$>
+                       lift x)
+                    keysyms))|]
diff --git a/test/Doctests.hs b/test/Doctests.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Doctests.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+module Main where
+
+import Test.DocTest
+
+main =
+  doctest ["-isrc"
+          ,"src/EmacsKeys.hs"
+          ,"src/EmacsKeys/Parser.hs"
+          ,"src/EmacsKeys/TH.hs"]
diff --git a/test/Test.hs b/test/Test.hs
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Test.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+module Main where
+
+import Data.Char
+import Data.Function
+import EmacsKeys
+import Test.Tasty
+import Test.Tasty.Hspec
+import Test.Tasty.QuickCheck as QC
+import Text.XkbCommon.KeysymList
+
+main :: IO ()
+main = defaultMain =<< tests
+
+tests :: IO TestTree
+tests = fmap (testGroup "tests") $ sequence [hspecTests, pure properties]
+
+hspecTests :: IO TestTree
+hspecTests = testSpec "hspec" $
+  describe "parseEmacsKeys" $ do
+    it "should parse M-Return" $
+      parseEmacsKeys "M-Return" `shouldBe` Right ([Meta],[keysym_Return])
+    it "should parse M-n" $
+      parseEmacsKeys "M-n" `shouldBe` Right ([Meta],[keysym_n])
+    it "should parse M-S-n" $
+      parseEmacsKeys "M-S-N" `shouldBe` Right ([Meta,Shift],[keysym_N])
+    it "should parse M-S-1" $
+      parseEmacsKeys "M-S-1" `shouldBe` Right ([Meta,Shift],[keysym_1])
+
+properties :: TestTree
+properties =
+  testGroup "properties"
+            [QC.testProperty "shift converts to upper" $
+             \char ->
+               on (==)
+                  (fmap snd)
+                  (parseEmacsKeys
+                     ("S-" ++
+                      [char]))
+                  (parseEmacsKeys [toUpper char]) ||
+               char `elem`
+               ['c','s','m']]