Claudio Arrau

desert is.landest. 1942

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desert is.land

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

The listing

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Most requested
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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

Claudio Arrau — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

7 episodes

Chosen over the decades

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Gerald Scarfe
Philip Hope-Wallace
Rumer Godden
Sir Ian MacGregor
Sir Jony Ive
Terence Stamp
Vincent Cable MP

Sir Jony Ive
How sleeping on the factory floor helped Jony Ive perfect the iPhone
Castaway · 23 February 2025Lauren Laverne
Vincent Cable MP
Vincent Cable on his father's disgust at his mixed-race marriage
Castaway · 18 January 2009Kirsty Young

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

Terence Stamp

How a letter in an ashram brought Terence Stamp back to play General Zod

Castaway · 12 March 2006Sue Lawley

Rumer Godden

23°47′S 066°57′W

Rumer Godden

How a father's remark about her face broke Rumer Godden's heart

Castaway · 13 October 1996Sue Lawley

Gerald Scarfe

18°17′S 162°25′W

Gerald Scarfe

How Gerald Scarfe couldn't draw what he saw in Vietnam

Castaway · 12 March 1989Sue Lawley

Sir Ian MacGregor

15°21′S 128°13′W

Sir Ian MacGregor

How a tank-building mission took Ian MacGregor from Glasgow to America

Castaway · 5 October 1986Michael Parkinson

Philip Hope-Wallace

03°08′S 143°10′W

Philip Hope-Wallace

How Philip Hope-Wallace was laughed at for naming Handel and Verdi as favourite composers at Oxford

Castaway · 30 March 1974Roy Plomley

Sir Jony Ive

Vincent Cable MP

Rumer Godden

Gerald Scarfe

Sir Ian MacGregor

Philip Hope-Wallace