Django REST Framework DictField

fields.py

from ast import literal_eval

class DictField(serializers.WritableField):
    type_name = 'DictField'

    def from_native(self, value):
        if isinstance(value, basestring):
            try:
                value = literal_eval(value)
            except SyntaxError:
                value = value
        if isinstance(value, dict):
            return value
        else:
            raise serializers.ValidationError('Value is not a dictionary.')