Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born British novelist, regarded as one of the greatest novelists in the English language. Although he did not speak the language fluently until his twenties, Conrad became a master prose stylist, bringing a non-English sensibility into English literature. He became a British subject in 1886.

Conrad wrote stories and novels, predominantly set in nautical or seaboard environments, that vividly depicted the trials of the human spirit under the demands of duty and honor. His works portrayed crises of human individuality amidst an indifferent, inscrutable, and amoral world.

Considered by some as a literary impressionist and by others as an early modernist, Conrad's works also incorporate elements of 19th-century realism. His unique narrative style and anti-heroic characters, such as those found in Lord Jim, have influenced numerous authors and have been adapted into many dramatic films. Writing during the height of the British Empire, he drew on his personal experiences in the French and British merchant navies and the national experiences of his native Poland to create narratives that reflect a European-dominated world, including themes of imperialism and colonialism, and profoundly explore the human psyche.