diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4601c82..bba7377 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ impl<B: StoreBackend> Store<B> {
     }
 
     /// store a buffer `value` at `key`
-    pub fn write(&mut self, key: &str, value: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error<B::Error>> {
+    pub fn write<V: AsRef<[u8]>>(&mut self, key: &str, value: V) -> Result<(), Error<B::Error>> {
+        let value = value.as_ref();
         match self.append(key, value) {
             Err(Error::Write(WriteError::SpaceExhausted)) => {
                 self.compact()?;
diff --git a/src/test.rs b/src/test.rs
index 55a2ed9..849bfb2 100644
--- a/src/test.rs
+++ b/src/test.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,20 @@ fn write_read() {
     assert_eq!(store.read("foo").unwrap().unwrap(), b"bar");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn write_read_str() {
+    let mut store = make_store();
+    store.write("foo", "bar").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(store.read_str("foo").unwrap().unwrap(), "bar");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn write_read_str_utf8() {
+    let mut store = make_store();
+    store.write("réseau", "point à point").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(store.read_str("réseau").unwrap().unwrap(), "point à point");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn write_read_value_str() {
     let mut store = make_store();