diff --git a/lib/ugui.c3l/src/string.c3 b/lib/ugui.c3l/src/string.c3
index ef74dcf..6c9d21f 100644
--- a/lib/ugui.c3l/src/string.c3
+++ b/lib/ugui.c3l/src/string.c3
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ fn Rect? GlyphIterator.next(&self)
 		if (self.anchor == TOP_LEFT) {
 			self.o.x = self.bounds.x;
 			self.o.y += self.line_height + self.line_gap;
+			self.line_idx++;
 		}
 		break;
 	case self.cp == '\t':
@@ -254,10 +255,11 @@ fn Rect? GlyphIterator.next(&self)
 		b = self.gp.bounds().off(self.o);
 		b.y += self.baseline;
 		if (self.anchor == TOP_LEFT) {
-			if (self.o.x == self.bounds.x) self.bounds.x -= self.gp.ox;
+			//if (self.o.x == self.bounds.x) self.bounds.x -= self.gp.ox;
 			if (self.reflow && b.bottom_right().x > self.bounds.bottom_right().x) {
 				self.o.x = self.bounds.x - self.gp.ox;
 				self.o.y += self.line_height + self.line_gap;
+				self.line_idx++;
 				b = self.gp.bounds().off(self.o);
 				b.y += self.baseline;
 			}
@@ -286,7 +288,11 @@ fn bool GlyphIterator.has_next(&self)
 	return true;
 }
 
-fn usz GlyphIterator.current_offset(&self) => self.lines[self.line_idx].start + self.line_off;
+fn usz GlyphIterator.current_offset(&self)
+{
+	if (self.anchor == TOP_LEFT) return self.line_off;
+	return self.lines[self.line_idx].start + self.line_off;
+}
 
 
 // layout a string inside a bounding box, following the given alignment (anchor).
@@ -315,6 +321,7 @@ fn void? Ctx.layout_string(&ctx, String text, Rect bounds, Anchor anchor, int z_
 //	ctx.dbg_rect(str_bounds.off(bounds.position()));
 }
 
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 //                              CURSOR AND MOUSE                                      //
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- //
@@ -435,6 +442,55 @@ fn usz? Ctx.hit_test_string(&ctx, String text, Rect bounds, Anchor anchor, Point
 	return text.len;
 }
 
+// TODO: implement a function `layout_string_with_selection` to avoid iterating over the string twice
+fn void? Ctx.draw_string_selection(&ctx, String text, Rect bounds, Anchor anchor, usz start, usz end, int z_index, Color hue, bool reflow = false)
+{
+	if (text == "") return;
+	if (bounds.w <= 0 || bounds.h <= 0) return;
+	
+	if (start > end) @swap(start, end);
+	
+	// Ensure start < end
+	if (start > end) {
+		usz temp = start;
+		start = end;
+		end = temp;
+	}
+	
+	ctx.push_scissor(bounds, z_index)!;
+
+	Font* font = &ctx.font;
+	
+	GlyphIterator gi;
+	gi.init(tmem, text, bounds, font, anchor, reflow, TAB_SIZE)!;
+
+	Rect sel_rect = { .h = gi.line_height }; // selection rect
+	isz sel_line = -1; // selection line
+	while (gi.has_next()) {
+		Rect b = gi.next()!;
+		usz off = gi.current_offset()-1;
+		isz line = gi.line_idx;
+		bool in_selection = start <= off && off <= end;
+
+		if  (in_selection && line != sel_line) {
+			if (sel_line != -1) {
+				ctx.push_rect(sel_rect, z_index, &&{.bg = hue})!;
+			}
+			sel_rect = {.x = gi.o.x - b.w, .y = gi.o.y, .w = 0, .h = gi.line_height};
+			sel_line = line;
+		}
+		if (in_selection) {
+			sel_rect.w = gi.o.x - sel_rect.x;
+			if (gi.cp == '\n') sel_rect.w += gi.space_width;
+		}
+		
+		if (off > end) break;
+	}
+	ctx.push_rect(sel_rect, z_index, &&{.bg = hue})!;
+	
+	ctx.reset_scissor(z_index)!;
+}
+
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 //                              TEXT MEASUREMENT                                      //
diff --git a/lib/ugui.c3l/src/textedit.c3 b/lib/ugui.c3l/src/textedit.c3
index 761e25e..a47b9bd 100644
--- a/lib/ugui.c3l/src/textedit.c3
+++ b/lib/ugui.c3l/src/textedit.c3
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ struct TextEdit {
 	char[] buffer;
 	usz chars;
 	usz cursor;
+	usz sel_start, sel_end;
+	bool selection;
 }
 
 fn String TextEdit.to_string(&te) => (String)te.buffer[:te.chars];
@@ -38,11 +40,15 @@ fn bool Ctx.text_edit(&ctx, TextEdit* te)
 
 	// handle modkeys
 	if (te.chars) {
+		// if not already in selection update the selection start/end to the cursor positon
+		if (!te.selection) {
+			te.sel_start = te.sel_end = te.cursor;
+		}
+
 		// handle backspace and delete
 		if (mod.bkspc) {
 			if (te.cursor > 0) {
-				// TODO: only delete until punctuation
-				usz how_many = mod & KMOD_CTRL ? te.until_cursor().prev_word_off() : te.until_cursor().prev_char_off();
+				usz how_many = te.how_many_bw(mod);
 				te.buffer[te.cursor-how_many : after] = te.buffer[te.cursor : after];
 				te.cursor -= how_many;
 				te.chars -= how_many;
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ fn bool Ctx.text_edit(&ctx, TextEdit* te)
 		}
 		if (mod.del) {
 			if (after > 0 && te.cursor < te.chars) {
-				usz how_many = mod & KMOD_CTRL ? te.from_cursor().next_word_off() : te.from_cursor().next_char_off();
+				usz how_many = te.how_many_fw(mod);
 				te.buffer[te.cursor : after] = te.buffer[te.cursor+how_many : after];
 				te.chars -= how_many;
 				after -= how_many;
@@ -62,16 +68,31 @@ fn bool Ctx.text_edit(&ctx, TextEdit* te)
 		// handle arrow keys
 		if (mod.left) {
 			if (te.cursor > 0) {
-				usz how_many = mod & KMOD_CTRL ? te.until_cursor().prev_word_off() : te.until_cursor().prev_char_off();
+				usz how_many = te.how_many_bw(mod);
 				te.cursor -= how_many;
 				after += how_many;
+				
+				if (mod & KMOD_SHIFT) {
+					te.selection = true;
+					if (!te.selection) te.sel_start = te.cursor;
+					te.sel_end = te.cursor;
+				} else {
+					te.selection = false;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		if (mod.right) {
 			if (after > 0) {
-				usz how_many = mod & KMOD_CTRL ? te.from_cursor().next_word_off() : te.from_cursor().next_char_off();
+				usz how_many = te.how_many_fw(mod);
 				te.cursor += how_many;
 				after -= how_many;
+				
+				if (mod & KMOD_SHIFT) {
+					te.sel_end = te.cursor-1;
+					te.selection = true;
+				} else {
+					te.selection = false;
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		// FIXME: this still doesn't work
@@ -103,10 +124,36 @@ fn bool Ctx.text_edit(&ctx, TextEdit* te)
 		// TODO: mod.end
 		// TODO: selection with shift+arrows
 	}
+	println("cursor: ", te.cursor, " start: ", te.sel_start, " end: ", te.sel_end);
 
 	return free == 0;
 }
 
+fn usz TextEdit.how_many_fw(&te, ModKeys mod)
+{
+	if (mod & KMOD_CTRL) {
+		return te.from_cursor().next_word_off();
+	} else if (te.selection && !(mod & KMOD_SHIFT)) {
+		// FIXME: +1 here is not correct, should use next_char_off()
+		return te.sel_start > te.sel_end ? te.sel_end - te.sel_start + 1 : te.from_cursor().next_char_off();
+	} else {
+		return te.from_cursor().next_char_off();
+	}
+}
+
+// how many characters to jump backwards (left arrow)
+fn usz TextEdit.how_many_bw(&te, ModKeys mod)
+{
+	if (mod & KMOD_CTRL) {
+		return te.until_cursor().prev_word_off();
+	} else if (te.selection && !(mod & KMOD_SHIFT)){
+		// FIXME: +1 here is not correct, should use prev_char_off()
+		return te.sel_start < te.sel_end ? te.sel_end - te.sel_start + 1 : te.until_cursor().prev_char_off();
+	} else {
+		return te.until_cursor().prev_char_off();
+	}
+}
+
 macro isz char[].next_char_off(b) => grapheme::next_character_break_utf8(b.ptr, b.len);
 macro isz char[].next_word_off(b) => grapheme::next_word_break_utf8(b.ptr, b.len);
 
diff --git a/lib/ugui.c3l/src/widgets/text.c3 b/lib/ugui.c3l/src/widgets/text.c3
index a814299..40d46d6 100644
--- a/lib/ugui.c3l/src/widgets/text.c3
+++ b/lib/ugui.c3l/src/widgets/text.c3
@@ -71,19 +71,23 @@ fn ElemEvents? Ctx.text_box_id(&ctx, Id id, Size w, Size h, TextEdit* te, Anchor
 		ctx.text_edit(elem.text.te);
 	}
 
-	// draw the box
-
 	Rect bg_bounds = elem.bounds.pad(style.margin);
 	Rect text_bounds = elem.bounds.pad(elem.layout.content_offset);
 	ctx.push_rect(bg_bounds, parent.z_index, style)!;
-	ctx.layout_string(elem.text.te.to_string(), text_bounds, text_alignment, parent.z_index, style.fg, reflow)!;
+	String s = elem.text.te.to_string();
+	if (elem.text.te.selection) {
+		usz start = elem.text.te.sel_start;
+		usz end = elem.text.te.sel_end;
+		ctx.draw_string_selection(s, text_bounds, text_alignment, start, end, parent.z_index, style.accent, reflow)!;
+	}
+	ctx.layout_string(s, text_bounds, text_alignment, parent.z_index, style.fg, reflow)!;
 
 	// draw the cursor if the element has focus
 	if (elem.events.has_focus) {
 		if (elem.events.mouse_press) {
-			elem.text.te.cursor = ctx.hit_test_string(elem.text.te.to_string(), text_bounds, text_alignment, ctx.input.mouse.pos, reflow)!;
+			elem.text.te.cursor = ctx.hit_test_string(s, text_bounds, text_alignment, ctx.input.mouse.pos, reflow)!;
 		}
-		Rect cur = ctx.get_cursor_position(elem.text.te.to_string(), text_bounds, text_alignment, elem.text.te.cursor, reflow)!;
+		Rect cur = ctx.get_cursor_position(s, text_bounds, text_alignment, elem.text.te.cursor, reflow)!;
 		cur.w = 2;
 		ctx.push_rect(cur, parent.z_index, &&(Style){.bg = style.fg})!;
 	}