However, some of the earliest writers who produced works that resemble modern short stories include:
* Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400): While known for "The Canterbury Tales," Chaucer also wrote shorter tales like "The Wife of Bath's Prologue" and "The Pardoner's Tale," which show elements of narrative focus and brevity.
* William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Shakespeare wrote plays, but his works like "The Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest" have elements of short stories within them, like the tale of Perdita and Florizel in "The Winter's Tale."
* The anonymous author of "The Canterbury Tales" (14th century): The individual tales within this collection, while connected by the larger framework, are self-contained narratives that could be considered early short stories.
It's important to remember that the concept of a short story as a distinct genre emerged later, with writers like Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) being credited with further developing the form in the 19th century.
Ultimately, identifying the "first" English short story writer is a matter of definition and perspective. The genre developed organically, with many contributors over time.