diff --git a/include/xlnt/cell/rich_text.hpp b/include/xlnt/cell/rich_text.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8cce0b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/xlnt/cell/rich_text.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2016 Thomas Fussell
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WRISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE
+//
+// @license: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+// @author: see AUTHORS file
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <xlnt/xlnt_config.hpp>
+#include <xlnt/cell/rich_text_run.hpp>
+
+namespace xlnt {
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Encapsulates zero or more formatted text runs where a text run
+/// is a string of text with the same defined formatting.
+/// </summary>
+class XLNT_API rich_text
+{
+public:
+    /// <summary>
+    ///
+    /// </summary>
+    rich_text() = default;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///
+    /// </summary>
+    rich_text(const std::string &plain_text);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///
+    /// </summary>
+    rich_text(const std::string &plain_text, const class font &text_font);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///
+    /// </summary>
+    rich_text(const rich_text_run &single_run);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Remove all text runs from this text.
+    /// </summary>
+    void clear();
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Clear any runs in this text and add a single run with default formatting and
+    /// the given string as its textual content.
+    /// </summary>
+    void plain_text(const std::string &s);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Combine the textual content of each text run in order and return the result.
+    /// </summary>
+    std::string plain_text() const;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns a copy of the individual runs that comprise this text.
+    /// </summary>
+    std::vector<rich_text_run> runs() const;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Set the runs of this text all at once.
+    /// </summary>
+    void runs(const std::vector<rich_text_run> &new_runs);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Add a new run to the end of the set of runs.
+    /// </summary>
+    void add_run(const rich_text_run &t);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns true if the runs that make up this text are identical to those in rhs.
+    /// </summary>
+    bool operator==(const rich_text &rhs) const;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns true if this text has a single unformatted run with text equal to rhs.
+    /// </summary>
+    bool operator==(const std::string &rhs) const;
+
+private:
+    /// <summary>
+    ///
+    /// </summary>
+    std::vector<rich_text_run> runs_;
+};
+
+} // namespace xlnt
diff --git a/include/xlnt/cell/rich_text_run.hpp b/include/xlnt/cell/rich_text_run.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2101c5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/xlnt/cell/rich_text_run.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2016 Thomas Fussell
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WRISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE
+//
+// @license: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+// @author: see AUTHORS file
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include <xlnt/xlnt_config.hpp>
+#include <xlnt/styles/font.hpp>
+#include <xlnt/utils/optional.hpp>
+
+namespace xlnt {
+
+using rich_text_run = std::pair<std::string, optional<font>>;
+
+} // namespace xlnt
diff --git a/source/cell/rich_text.cpp b/source/cell/rich_text.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..316f52ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/cell/rich_text.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Thomas Fussell
+// Copyright (c) 2010-2015 openpyxl
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WRISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE
+//
+// @license: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+// @author: see AUTHORS file
+#include <numeric>
+
+#include <xlnt/cell/rich_text.hpp>
+#include <xlnt/cell/rich_text_run.hpp>
+
+namespace xlnt {
+
+rich_text::rich_text(const std::string &plain_text)
+    : rich_text(rich_text_run{plain_text,{}})
+{
+}
+
+rich_text::rich_text(const std::string &plain_text, const class font &text_font)
+    : rich_text(rich_text_run{plain_text,text_font})
+{
+}
+
+rich_text::rich_text(const rich_text_run &single_run)
+{
+    add_run(single_run);
+}
+
+void rich_text::clear()
+{
+    runs_.clear();
+}
+
+void rich_text::plain_text(const std::string &s)
+{
+    clear();
+    add_run(rich_text_run{s,{}});
+}
+
+std::string rich_text::plain_text() const
+{
+    return std::accumulate(runs_.begin(), runs_.end(), std::string(),
+        [](const std::string &a, const rich_text_run &run) { return a + run.first; });
+}
+
+std::vector<rich_text_run> rich_text::runs() const
+{
+    return runs_;
+}
+
+void rich_text::add_run(const rich_text_run &t)
+{
+    runs_.push_back(t);
+}
+
+bool rich_text::operator==(const rich_text &rhs) const
+{
+    if (runs_.size() != rhs.runs_.size()) return false;
+    
+    for (std::size_t i = 0; i < runs_.size(); i++)
+    {
+        if (runs_[i]!= rhs.runs_[i]) return false;
+    }
+    
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool rich_text::operator==(const std::string &rhs) const
+{
+    return *this == rich_text(rhs);
+}
+
+} // namespace xlnt
diff --git a/source/cell/rich_text_run.cpp b/source/cell/rich_text_run.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8a775fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/cell/rich_text_run.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Thomas Fussell
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, WRISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE
+//
+// @license: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
+// @author: see AUTHORS file
+
+#include <xlnt/cell/rich_text_run.hpp>
+
+namespace xlnt {
+
+} // namespace xlnt