diff --git a/python/README.rst b/python/README.rst
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+QEMU Python Tooling
+===================
+
+This directory houses Python tooling used by the QEMU project to build,
+configure, and test QEMU. It is organized by namespace (``qemu``), and
+then by package (e.g. ``qemu/machine``, ``qemu/qmp``, etc).
+
+``setup.py`` is used by ``pip`` to install this tooling to the current
+environment. ``setup.cfg`` provides the packaging configuration used by
+``setup.py`` in a setuptools specific format. You will generally invoke
+it by doing one of the following:
+
+1. ``pip3 install .`` will install these packages to your current
+   environment. If you are inside a virtual environment, they will
+   install there. If you are not, it will attempt to install to the
+   global environment, which is **not recommended**.
+
+2. ``pip3 install --user .`` will install these packages to your user's
+   local python packages. If you are inside of a virtual environment,
+   this will fail; you likely want the first invocation above.
+
+If you append the ``-e`` argument, pip will install in "editable" mode;
+which installs a version of the package that installs a forwarder
+pointing to these files, such that the package always reflects the
+latest version in your git tree.
+
+See `Installing packages using pip and virtual environments
+<https://packaging.python.org/guides/installing-using-pip-and-virtual-environments/>`_
+for more information.
+
+
+Files in this directory
+-----------------------
+
+- ``qemu/`` Python package source directory.
+- ``PACKAGE.rst`` is used as the README file that is visible on PyPI.org.
+- ``README.rst`` you are here!
+- ``VERSION`` contains the PEP-440 compliant version used to describe
+  this package; it is referenced by ``setup.cfg``.
+- ``setup.cfg`` houses setuptools package configuration.
+- ``setup.py`` is the setuptools installer used by pip; See above.
diff --git a/python/qemu/README.rst b/python/qemu/README.rst
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+QEMU Python Namespace
+=====================
+
+This directory serves as the root of a `Python PEP 420 implicit
+namespace package <https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0420/>`_.
+
+Each directory below is assumed to be an installable Python package that
+is available under the ``qemu.<package>`` namespace.
diff --git a/python/qemu/machine/README.rst b/python/qemu/machine/README.rst
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+qemu.machine package
+====================
+
+This package provides core utilities used for testing and debugging
+QEMU. It is used by the iotests, vm tests, acceptance tests, and several
+other utilities in the ./scripts directory. It is not a fully-fledged
+SDK and it is subject to change at any time.
+
+See the documentation in ``__init__.py`` for more information.
diff --git a/python/qemu/qmp/README.rst b/python/qemu/qmp/README.rst
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+qemu.qmp package
+================
+
+This package provides a library used for connecting to and communicating
+with QMP servers. It is used extensively by iotests, vm tests,
+acceptance tests, and other utilities in the ./scripts directory. It is
+not a fully-fledged SDK and is subject to change at any time.
+
+See the documentation in ``__init__.py`` for more information.
diff --git a/python/qemu/utils/README.rst b/python/qemu/utils/README.rst
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+qemu.utils package
+==================
+
+This package provides miscellaneous utilities used for testing and
+debugging QEMU. It is used primarily by the vm and acceptance tests.
+
+See the documentation in ``__init__.py`` for more information.