About Us
The International Society of Narrative
Mission
The International Society for the Study of Narrative (ISSN) is a non-profit scholarly organization dedicated to the advancement of research about narratives and narrative theory. It seeks to foster diverse, equitable, sustainable research and research practices among academics, professionals, and independent scholars from around the world. For this purpose, the ISSN provides a range of theoretical, physical, and virtual spaces and platforms that enable and enhance collaboration and knowledge dissemination among a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds.
Narrative is the official journal of International Society for the Study of Narrative. Its mission is to publish essays that contribute to both narrative theory and the interpretation of individual narratives. Within those parameters, the journal is open to work on the elements, techniques, structures, and forms of narrative as well as on its relations to other modes of discourse, its history, and its powers (and limits) in cultures past and present. The journal is interested in narrative across disciplines and across media, and, thus, it welcomes submissions on the theory and interpretation of the novel, the short story, narrative poetry, history, biography, autobiography, memoir, film, television, journalism, comics and other graphic arts, music, performance, legal writing, medical case histories, and more.
The Society sponsors the International Conference on Narrative each year. The first conference was held at Ohio State University in 1986, and in subsequent years, the meeting has been held at sites across the United States, Canada, and Europe. At each conference, approximately 350 speakers address issues of narrative from a variety of positions and perspectives.
There are currently approximately a thousand members in ISSN, and new members are always welcome. Membership in the Society includes a subscription to Narrative, as well as to the Society’s newsletter, which contains information about the annual conference, MLA sessions, the online discussion group, and other activities.