Joseph Conrad was a prolific Polish-British writer who became famous for his short novel, The Heart of Darkness. Most of Conrad's writing focused heavily on topics of both imperialism and colonialism, mainly exploring the politics of a life at sea or in a foreign country. While his views were staunch, his writing was clear and profound, earning him a reputation of high regard among various prominent literary circles. Conrad eventually became known as one of the greatest English novelists of his time, thanks to the detailed and highly intelligent subjects of his novels. His style was considered by many academics to be early modernist, but also heavily influenced by realist philosophy. The entirety of his most celebrated work aims at portraying the real and savage nature of colonialism and its repercussions worldwide. Though never actually winning an important prize for his writing, Conrad came close, earning many nominations of various awards over the years.
