diff --git a/hypernetx/read_write.py b/hypernetx/read_write.py
index 237af567..c58f5c0b 100644
--- a/hypernetx/read_write.py
+++ b/hypernetx/read_write.py
@@ -1,17 +1,58 @@
 # Copyright © 2018 Battelle Memorial Institute
 # All rights reserved.
 
-import pickle
+import json
+import fastjsonschema
+import requests
+from .exception import HyperNetXError
 
+schema_url = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pszufe/HIF_validators/main/schemas/hif_schema_v0.1.0.json"
+resp = requests.get(url)
+schema = json.loads(resp.text)
+validator = fastjsonschema.compile(schema)
 
-def to_pickle(obj, filename):
-    """Writes object to a pickle file"""
-    with open(f"{filename}", "wb") as f:
-        pickle.dump(obj, f)
 
+def from_hif(hif):
+    assert validator(hif)
+    incidences = pd.DataFrame(hif["incidences"])
+    misc_cell_properties_col = 'attrs'  if 'attrs' in incidences.columns else None
 
-def load_from_pickle(filepath):
-    """Returns object from file"""
-    with open(filepath, "rb") as f:
-        temp = pickle.load(f)
-    return temp
+    if "edges" in hif and len(hif["edges"])>0:
+        edges = pd.DataFrame(hif['edges']).rename(columns={'edge':'id'})
+        misc_edge_properties_col = 'attrs'  if 'attrs' in edges.columns else None
+    else:
+        edges = None
+        misc_edge_properties_col = None
+
+    if "nodes" in hif and len(hif["nodes"])>0:
+        nodes = pd.DataFrame(hif['nodes']).rename(columns={'node':'id'})
+        misc_node_properties_col = 'attrs'  if 'attrs' in nodes.columns else None
+    else:
+        nodes = None
+        misc_node_properties_col = None
+    
+    h = hnx.Hypergraph(incidences, misc_cell_properties_col=misc_cell_properties_col,
+                          node_properties=nodes, misc_node_properties_col=misc_node_properties_col,
+                          edge_properties=edges, misc_edge_properties_col=misc_edge_properties_col,
+                          )    
+    ## store additional data for reuse later
+    h.hif_data = {k:hif[k] for k in set(hif.keys()).difference(['edges','nodes','incidences'])}
+    return h
+                  
+
+def to_hif(hg):
+    edgj = hg.edges.to_dataframe.rename(columns={"misc_properties":"attrs"})
+    edid = edgj.index._name or "index"
+    nodj = hg.nodes.to_dataframe.rename(columns={"misc_properties":"attrs"})
+    ndid = nodj.index._name or "index"
+    edgj = edgj.reset_index().rename(columns={edid: "edge"}).to_dict(orient="records")
+    nodj = nodj.reset_index().rename(columns={ndid: "node"}).to_dict(orient="records")
+    incj = (
+        hg.incidences.to_dataframe.reset_index()
+        .rename(columns={"nodes": "node", "edges": "edge","misc_properties":"attrs"})
+        .to_dict(orient="records")
+    )
+    hif = {"edges": edgj, "nodes": nodj, "incidences": incj}
+    hif.update(getattr(hg,'hif_data',{}))
+    assert validator(hif)
+    return hif
\ No newline at end of file