The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucer's unfinished Middle English story collection, written from about 1387 to 1400 and first printed by William Caxton at Westminster in about 1476. Pilgrims riding from London to Canterbury tell tales in a contest.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First edition
- William Caxton, 1478
- First published
- William Caxton, Westminster, 1476
The first edition of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer was published in Westminster by William Caxton in 1478. We track 1 edition.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Adaptations
- The Canterbury Tales film, 1972
Setting and characters
- Set in
- Kent
- Genre
- English-language literature
Read next
- Followed by
- Prologue and Tale of Beryn
In print
- Editions recorded
- 734 on Open Library, 620 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 65 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Geoffrey Chaucer
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Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Canterbury Tales?
The first edition of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer was published in Westminster by William Caxton in 1478.
How many editions of The Canterbury Tales are there?
We track 1 edition of The Canterbury Tales, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has The Canterbury Tales been adapted?
Yes, including The Canterbury Tales (film, 1972), according to Wikidata.
What should I read after The Canterbury Tales?
In order, it is followed by Prologue and Tale of Beryn, according to Wikidata.
Where these facts come from
- The Canterbury Tales, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Caxton), Caxton and Beyond, De Montfort University (caxtonandbeyond.dmu.ac.uk)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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