<!doctype html> <style> * { margin: 0 0; padding: 0 0; } html { writing-mode: vertical-rl; } div { column-gap: 0; column-count: 4; font: 16px/1 sans-serif; } /* cosmetics */ div { border: 1px solid; } </style> The first column should be aligned with the inline-end side of the block and the second column should be to its direct left (towards inline-start side). <div style="direction:rtl; text-align:right;"> <p>1st column</p> <p>2nd column</p> </div>