(EXEMPLARY LIVES) Imagine becoming one of the most influential English-language writers and only learning the language in your 20s. This is the life of Joseph Conrad, born Józef Korzeniowski in a town that was unwillingly part of the Russian Empire, now Ukraine, but Polish at heart. “Apocalypse Now” was inspired on a Conrad novella, and there have been at least five movie adaptations of the novel “Victory”, where he explores the murky waters of the human psyche and its limits.

Born in a landlocked town, Conrad learned English so he could join the British merchant navy. His stories took place in remote and dangerous places around the world, yet his exploration of moral ambiguity and ambition, set 100 years, ago still resonate with the modern reader. Everything about Conrad's life is improbable, a Polish boy (by family) in a landlocked town, who only learned English in his 20s, becomes one of the most celebrated English-language writers. Sometimes not knowing the rules of the game has its advantages.