diff --git a/python/README.md b/python/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/python/example.py b/python/example.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d93afd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/example.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+# python3 setup.py install
+# python3 python/example.py
+
+import argparse
+import sys
+import numpy as np
+import pysquigulator
+
+def main():
+
+    reference = 'test/nCoV-2019.reference.fasta'
+
+    pysq = pysquigulator.sim(reference, profile='dna-r9-prom', num_threads=8, batch_size=100, output_blow5='test.blow5')
+
+    recs = pysq.simulate_batch()
+
+    for read in recs:
+        print("read_id:", read['read_id'])
+        print("read_group:", read['read_group'])
+        print("digitisation:", read['digitisation'])
+        print("offset:", read['offset'])
+        print("range:", read['range'])
+        print("sampling_rate:", read['sampling_rate'])
+        print("len_raw_signal:", read['len_raw_signal'])
+        print("signal:", read['signal'][:10])
+        print("signal:", read['signal'][:10])
+        print("================================")
+
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
+
diff --git a/python/pysquigulator.pxd b/python/pysquigulator.pxd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd32cc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/pysquigulator.pxd
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#cython: language_level=3
+#from libc.stdio cimport *
+from libc.stdint cimport *
+#from libc.stdlib cimport *
+
+cdef extern from "squigulator.h":
+
+	ctypedef struct squig_t:
+		pass
+
+	ctypedef struct squig_batch_t:
+		pass
+
+	ctypedef struct squig_rec_t:
+		char* read_id;
+		uint32_t read_group;
+		double digitisation;
+		double offset;
+		double range;
+		double sampling_rate;
+		uint64_t len_raw_signal;
+		int16_t* raw_signal;
+
+		char *channel_number;
+		double median_before;
+		int32_t read_number;
+		uint8_t start_mux;
+		uint64_t start_time;
+		uint8_t end_reason;
+
+		pass
+
+	ctypedef struct squig_opt_t:
+		int32_t avg_rlen;
+		int64_t random_seed;
+		int32_t num_threads;
+		int32_t batch_size;
+		char *output_blow5;
+		char *profile;
+		pass
+
+
+	# squigulator interface
+	void squig_init_opt(squig_opt_t *opts);
+	squig_t *squig_init(char *ref_fasta, squig_opt_t *opts);
+	void squig_free(squig_t *sq);
+	squig_batch_t* squig_sim_batch(squig_t *sq);
+	void squig_free_batch(squig_batch_t *batch);
+	squig_rec_t *squig_get_rec(squig_t *sq, squig_batch_t *batch, int i);
+
diff --git a/python/pysquigulator.pyx b/python/pysquigulator.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42896c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/pysquigulator.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+# distutils: language = c
+# cython: language_level=3
+# cython: profile=True
+
+import sys
+# import time
+# import logging
+import copy
+from libc.stdlib cimport malloc, free
+from cpython.mem cimport PyMem_Malloc, PyMem_Realloc, PyMem_Free
+from libc.string cimport strdup
+cimport pysquigulator
+
+# Import the Python-level symbols of numpy
+import numpy as np
+# Import the C-level symbols of numpy
+cimport numpy as np
+# Numpy must be initialized. When using numpy from C or Cython you must
+# _always_ do that, or you will have segfaults
+np.import_array()
+
+
+cdef class sim:
+    '''
+    Creates a new pysquigulator object
+
+    '''
+    cdef squig_opt_t opt
+    cdef squig_t *sq
+    cdef char *reference
+    cdef char *profile
+    cdef char *output_blow5
+    cdef squig_batch_t *batch
+
+    cdef squig_rec_t *rec
+    cdef np.npy_intp shape_seq[1]
+
+    def __cinit__(self, reference, profile='dna-r9-prom', num_threads=8, batch_size=100, output_blow5='test.blow5'):
+        '''
+        C init
+        '''
+        self.sq = NULL
+        self.batch = NULL
+
+        self.reference = NULL
+        self.profile = NULL
+        self.output_blow5 = NULL
+
+        self.reference = strdup(str.encode(reference))
+        self.profile = strdup(str.encode(profile))
+        self.output_blow5 = strdup(str.encode(output_blow5))
+
+        squig_init_opt(&self.opt)
+
+        self.opt.profile = self.profile
+        self.opt.output_blow5 = self.output_blow5
+        self.opt.num_threads = num_threads
+        self.opt.batch_size = batch_size
+
+        self.sq = squig_init(self.reference, &self.opt)
+
+        if self.sq is NULL:
+            self.logger.error("pysquigulator not initialised")
+
+
+    def __init__(self, reference, profile='dna-r9-prom', num_threads=8, batch_size=100, output_blow5='test.blow5'):
+        '''
+        python init
+        '''
+        pass
+
+    def __dealloc__(self):
+        '''
+        free memory
+        '''
+
+        if self.sq is not NULL:
+            squig_free(self.sq)
+        if self.reference is not NULL:
+            free(self.reference)
+        if self.profile is not NULL:
+            free(self.profile)
+        if self.output_blow5 is not NULL:
+            free(self.output_blow5)
+
+
+
+    def simulate_batch(self):
+        '''
+        process a batch of of signals
+        '''
+        row = {}
+
+        self.batch = squig_sim_batch(self.sq)
+        if self.batch is NULL:
+            print("Failed to simulate batch")
+
+        for i in range(self.opt.batch_size):
+            row = {}
+            self.rec = squig_get_rec(self.sq, self.batch, i)
+            # todo check null
+
+            if type(self.rec.read_id) is bytes:
+                row['read_id'] = self.rec.read_id.decode()
+            else:
+                row['read_id'] = self.rec.read_id
+            row['read_group'] = self.rec.read_group
+            row['digitisation'] = self.rec.digitisation
+            row['offset'] = self.rec.offset
+            row['range'] = self.rec.range
+            row['sampling_rate'] = self.rec.sampling_rate
+            row['len_raw_signal'] = self.rec.len_raw_signal
+
+            self.shape_seq[0] = <np.npy_intp> self.rec.len_raw_signal
+            signal = copy.deepcopy(np.PyArray_SimpleNewFromData(1, self.shape_seq,
+                        np.NPY_INT16, <void *> self.rec.raw_signal))
+            np.PyArray_UpdateFlags(signal, signal.flags.num | np.NPY_ARRAY_OWNDATA)
+            row['signal'] = signal
+
+            if type(self.rec.channel_number) is bytes:
+                row['channel_number'] = self.rec.channel_number.decode()
+            else:
+                row['channel_number'] = self.rec.channel_number
+
+            row['median_before'] = self.rec.median_before
+            row['read_number'] = self.rec.read_number
+            row['start_mux'] = self.rec.start_mux
+            row['start_time'] = self.rec.start_time
+
+            yield row
+
+        squig_free_batch(self.batch)
+        self.batch = NULL
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0bc87e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+try:
+    from setuptools import setup, Extension
+    from setuptools.command.install import install
+
+except ImportError:
+    from distutils.core import setup
+    from distutils.extension import Extension
+
+import sys
+
+include_dirs = []
+# import numpy as np
+
+# creat dummy closures for metadata reading on first parse of setup.py
+# that way it picks up the requirements and installs them, then can use them
+# for the install.
+try:
+    import numpy as np
+    include_dirs = ['include/', 'src/','python/', 'slow5lib/include/', 'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/include/', np.get_include()]
+except ImportError:
+    include_dirs = ['include/', 'src/','python/', 'slow5lib/include/', 'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/include/']
+    def np(*args, ** kwargs ):
+        import numpy as np
+        return np(*args, ** kwargs)
+
+try:
+    from Cython.Build import build_ext
+except ImportError:
+    def build_ext(*args, ** kwargs ):
+        from Cython.Build import build_ext
+        return build_ext(*args, ** kwargs)
+
+# from Cython.Build import build_ext
+
+#adapted from https://github.com/lh3/minimap2/blob/master/setup.py
+
+sources=['python/pysquigulator.pyx',
+         'src/format.c',
+         'src/genread.c',
+         'src/gensig.c',
+         'src/methmodel.c',
+         'src/misc.c',
+         'src/model.c',
+         'src/ref.c',
+         'src/sim.c',
+         'src/sq_api.c',
+         'src/thread.c',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5.c',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_press.c',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_misc.c',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_idx.c',
+         'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/src/streamvbyte_zigzag.c',
+         'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/src/streamvbyte_decode.c',
+         'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/src/streamvbyte_encode.c']
+depends=['python/pysquigulator.pxd',
+         'python/pysquigulator.h',
+         'include/squigulator.h',
+         'src/error.h',
+         'src/format.h',
+         'src/khash.h',
+         'src/kseq.h',
+         'src/ksort.h',
+         'src/misc.h',
+         'src/model.h',
+         'src/rand.h',
+         'src/ref.h',
+         'src/seq.h',
+         'src/sq.h',
+         'src/str.h',
+         'src/version.h',
+         'slow5lib/include/slow5/slow5.h',
+         'slow5lib/include/slow5/slow5_defs.h',
+         'slow5lib/include/slow5/slow5_error.h',
+         'slow5lib/include/slow5/slow5_press.h',
+         'slow5lib/include/slow5/klib/khash.h',
+         'slow5lib/include/slow5/klib/kvec.h',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_extra.h',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_idx.h',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_misc.h',
+         'slow5lib/src/slow5_byte.h',
+         'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/include/streamvbyte.h',
+         'slow5lib/thirdparty/streamvbyte/include/streamvbyte_zigzag.h']
+extra_compile_args = ['-g', '-Wall', '-O2', '-std=c99']
+
+
+libraries = ['m', 'z']
+library_dirs = ['.']
+
+extensions = [Extension('pysquigulator',
+                  sources = sources,
+                  depends = depends,
+                  extra_compile_args = extra_compile_args,
+                  libraries = libraries,
+                  include_dirs = include_dirs,
+                  library_dirs = library_dirs,
+                  language = 'c' )]
+
+def readme():
+	with open('python/README.md') as f:
+		return f.read()
+
+
+setup(
+    name = 'pysquigulator',
+    version='0.5.0-dev',
+    url = 'https://github.com/hasindu2008/squigulator',
+    description='pysquigulator python bindings',
+    long_description=readme(),
+    long_description_content_type='text/markdown',
+    author='Hasindu Gamaarachchi',
+    author_email='hasindu@garvan.org.au',
+    maintainer='Hasindu Gamaarachchi',
+    maintainer_email='hasindu@garvan.org.au',
+    license = 'MIT',
+    keywords = ['nanopore', 'signal'],
+    ext_modules=extensions,
+    cmdclass= {'build_ext': build_ext},
+    classifiers = [
+        'Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable',
+        'License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License',
+        'Programming Language :: C',
+        'Programming Language :: Cython',
+        'Programming Language :: Python :: 3',
+        'Intended Audience :: Science/Research',
+        'Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Bio-Informatics'],
+    python_requires='>=3.4.3',
+    install_requires=["numpy"],
+    setup_requires=["Cython", "numpy"]
+    )
diff --git a/src/error.h b/src/error.h
index f2f9422..d298b1c 100644
--- a/src/error.h
+++ b/src/error.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ enum sq_log_level_opt {
     LOG_TRAC      // tracing, debugging, verbose, information, warning and error messages
 };
 
-enum sq_log_level_opt get_log_level();
+enum sq_log_level_opt get_log_level(void);
 void set_log_level(enum sq_log_level_opt level);
 
 #define DEBUG_PREFIX "[DEBUG] %s: "
diff --git a/src/format.h b/src/format.h
index cebc686..76c82bd 100644
--- a/src/format.h
+++ b/src/format.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int64_t prefix_end;
 } aln_t;
 
-aln_t *init_aln();
+aln_t *init_aln(void);
 void free_aln(aln_t *aln);
 char *paf_str(aln_t *aln);
 void sam_hdr_wr(FILE *fp, ref_t *ref);