In 1909 Conrad received an unexpected visit from Captain C. M. Marris, a seafarer he had served with as a youth in the
Malay Archipelago. The captain informed Conrad that many of his old colleagues were avid readers of his literary fiction. Though he had not written a short story for years, Conrad was inspired to write the works that would be collected in
Twixt Land and Sea. Conrad wrote to his literary agent J. B. Pinker on Marris' visit in October 1909: Conrad dedicated
Twixt Land and Sea to Captain Marris. == Footnotes ==