Joseph Conrad (1857 - 1924) was a Polish-British writer. Although Conrad did not speak English until his twenties, he is considered one of the most important writers of the 19th century who wrote their work in English. Influencing his work were Conrad's experiences with the British colonial empire, his stints in the French and British merchant marine, and his memories of his native Poland. Conrad's work is counted among the modernism and, to some extent, the realism of the 19th century.