Joseph Conrad, author of Heart of Darkness, was born on December 3, 1857 in Berdichev, Ukraine. After Conrad’s parents’ death – which was caused by their conspiring against Russian rule- Conrad went to live with his uncle in Poland. In 1896, Conrad married Jessie Emmeline George and they later had two sons. Conrad had a sea-faring career in the French and British merchant marines until he began to write short stories and novels. Conrad write his first book – Almayer’s Folly – in 1895. Conrad is most known for his novels, Lord Jim (1900) and Heart of Darkness (1902). These works are still studied and analyzed today. Conrad died of a heart attack on August 3, 1924, at his home in Canterbury, England.