This Week in Literary History: Joseph Conrad Becomes a British Subject
This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Literary History newsletter—sign up here. Joseph Conrad was born in Berdychiv, in Russian-controlled Ukraine, in an area that had once been Poland, as Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski. When he was eleven, both his parents died from
Joseph Conrad, born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in Berdychiv, Russian-controlled Ukraine, became one of the most celebrated English writers of his generation. As a young man, he endured the tragic loss of both his parents to tuberculosis. At the age of eleven, Conrad embarked on a nautical career, initially working on French ships before transitioning to British vessels.
Although Conrad was fluent in Polish, French, and exposed to numerous English literary works during his childhood, he only began mastering the English language at the age of twenty-one.
Conrad spent sixteen years working aboard the British merchant navy, during which time he became an expert in the English language, despite the fact that he would always speak with a distinct accent. In 1883, while on a voyage to Bombay, Conrad started writing letters in his newly adopted tongue. On July 2, 1886, he formally applied for British citizenship, which he successfully obtained on August 19 of the same year.
Conrad's literary career truly took off in 1895 when, now 37 years old and having retired from life at sea, he published his first novel, Almayer's Folly, using his anglicized name, Joseph Conrad. He went on to publish a multitude of novels, including Heart of Darkness in 1899, Lord Jim in 1900, Nostromo in 1904, The Secret Agent in 1907, and Under Western Eyes in 1911. Conrad's prolific writing continued until his death in 1924.
Written by urgent.news from Literary Hub's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
