Big Bill Broonzy — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Tuning in…

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Big Bill Broonzy — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Big Bill Broonzy

7 episodes

Chosen over the decades

7

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Diana Athill
Lucy Irvine
Melvyn Bragg
Michael Rosen
Ronnie Wood
Sir Tom Jones
Val Wilmer

Ronnie Wood
How a party sofa led Ronnie Wood to join the Rolling Stones
Castaway · 12 October 2025Lauren Laverne
Val Wilmer
Val Wilmer on talking her mother into taking her to London Airport to meet Louis Armstrong
Castaway · 4 February 2024Lauren Laverne
Sir Tom Jones

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Tom Jones on his father going to work in the coal mine after he bought a Jaguar

Castaway · 26 September 2010Kirsty Young

10°25′S 050°06′W

Michael Rosen

How a 200-yard walk made Michael Rosen realise he'd been fired from the BBC

Castaway · 6 August 2006Sue Lawley

20°58′S 059°01′W

Diana Athill

Diana Athill on discovering the facts of life at age 11 in a book by Mary Stopes

Castaway · 20 June 2004Sue Lawley

21°33′S 084°05′W

Lucy Irvine

Lucy Irvine on being forced to marry her fellow castaway

Castaway · 14 April 1984Roy Plomley

11°38′S 152°40′W

Melvyn Bragg

Melvyn Bragg on being addicted to reading anything from sauce bottles to the Old Testament

Castaway · 7 August 1976Roy Plomley