-One of the most widely read and critically acclaimed works of Conrad- The Secret Sharer (1910) is one of Conrad's seafaring narratives, like Youth and Heart of Darkness, modelled on the author's own experiences as a sailor. The Secret Sharer is a psychological tale about courage and responsibility: an intriguing and slightly ambiguous short story. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was a Polish-British writer regarded as one of the greatest novelists to write in the English language.