Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad

Wikipedia states: Joseph Conrad… was a Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language…

Wetherspoons named their Lowestoft pub ‘Joseph Conrad’, saying: ‘The Station Square pub is named after Polish mariner and writer Joseph Conrad, who disembarked in Lowestoft in 1878 and signed on as a crew member of a small coaster that sailed out of the port.’

Conrad’s time in Lowestoft had not been researched; local musician Stephen Amer and historian Ivan Bunn recently took an interest. Last night we enjoyed a presentation of their findings:

Lowestoft folk welcomed and employed an immigrant:

The Joseph Conrad story tells of a ‘foreigner’ coming to Lowestoft. He was shown kindness and built lasting friendships. We see the positive impact of immigration and intercultural exchange.

Musing… on post-Brexit Brittain, on pre-election debates about immigration, in a part of East Anglia where there are strong opinions… The phrase ‘widows, orphans, foreigners’ often appears in the Bible, refers to people who are vulnerable and in need of protection, kindness and compassion.

Uneducated Lowestoft sailors taught Conrad how to speak English.

When twenty-year-old Conrad arrived in Lowestoft, Conrad could speak only a little English. He didn’t study at a prestigious university or hire a well-trained private tutor; he learnt from working with Lowestoft seamen, ordinary working people.

Musing… Having spent my working-life teaching, I think that schools are over-rated. So much teaching and learning takes place in the ordinariness of everyday life, involving people who wouldn’t call themselves teachers.  

A brief experience can have a great impact on a person’s life.

Conrad didn’t spend long in Lowestoft, working on Lowestoft fishing boats, but many of his novels and stories have nautical settings. He considered that his association with Lowestoft fishermen helped him to become a great writer.

Musing… The people I have met through my life, brief friendships, passing acquaintances, the influence I may have left… People I meet today, tomorrow, opportunities to help or hinder, may have a significant impact.