Dame Janet Baker — 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

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Most requested
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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Dame Janet Baker — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Dame Janet Baker

29 episodes

Chosen over the decades

29

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Allan Ahlberg
Antonia Fraser
Bishop Trevor Huddleston
Earl of Harewood
Emma Bridgewater
Eric Shilling
John Copley
Jude Kelly
Kaye Webb
Kiri Te Kanawa
Len Deighton
Martin Gilbert
Mary Beard
Mary O'Hara
Most Rev Robert Runcie
Neville Marriner
Patricia Routledge
P D James
Peter Ustinov
Roy Hattersley
Rt Hon Shirley Williams
Russell Harty
Sir Cecil Beaton
Sir John Betjeman
more

Emma Bridgewater
Emma Bridgewater on the blackbird singing as her mother died
Castaway · 27 November 2016Kirsty Young
Sir Sydney Kentridge
Sydney Kentridge on representing three Nobel Peace Prize winners
Castaway · 31 March 2013Kirsty Young
Tidjane Thiam

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

Tidjane Thiam on his assistant stopping rebels from looting his office

Castaway · 4 November 2012Kirsty Young

03°35′S 024°47′W

Mary Beard

Mary Beard on how her breastfeeding heroism was remembered as dereliction of duty

Castaway · 31 January 2010Kirsty Young

23°57′S 059°19′W

John Copley

John Copley on cooking pasta sauce with Pavarotti

Castaway · 3 January 2010Kirsty Young

20°09′S 023°33′W

Allan Ahlberg

How a girl in the street told Allan Ahlberg he was adopted

Castaway · 14 November 2008Kirsty Young

01°22′S 083°04′W

Antonia Fraser

Antonia Fraser on her 'don't come in' notice for writing while raising six children

Castaway · 27 July 2008Kirsty Young

16°12′S 094°52′W

Jude Kelly

Jude Kelly on making up plays in the back garden as a child

Castaway · 5 May 2002Sue Lawley

Patricia Routledge

18°27′S 117°25′W

Patricia Routledge

Patricia Routledge on the terror of putting her hand on the door handle before every performance

Castaway · 8 August 1999Sue Lawley

05°26′S 031°44′W

Kaye Webb

Kaye Webb on rushing downstairs to announce Ronald Searle was alive

Castaway · 30 May 1993Sue Lawley

Most Rev Robert Runcie

23°17′S 019°51′W

Most Rev Robert Runcie

Robert Runcie on turning back to rescue a crewmate from a burning tank

Castaway · 1 January 1989Sue Lawley

Bishop Trevor Huddleston

19°30′S 136°12′W

Bishop Trevor Huddleston

How a novice master warned Trevor Huddleston he would miss children

Castaway · 25 September 1988Michael Parkinson

Rt Hon Shirley Williams

14°33′S 084°21′W

Rt Hon Shirley Williams

How a tip-off about concentration camps sent Shirley Williams to America

Castaway · 23 March 1986Michael Parkinson

11°06′S 109°10′W

Roy Hattersley

How a Christmas lunch revealed Roy Hattersley's father was a priest

Castaway · 26 January 1986Michael Parkinson

00°18′S 117°49′W

Sir John Burgh

John Burgh on the jubilant crowds greeting Hitler in Vienna

Castaway · 8 December 1984Roy Plomley

18°34′S 054°15′W

P D James

P D James on starting her first novel by getting up early in her late thirties

Castaway · 20 November 1982Roy Plomley

18°38′S 039°45′W

Martin Gilbert

Martin Gilbert on the joke that derailed his thesis

Castaway · 9 January 1982Roy Plomley

14°02′S 026°00′W

Eric Shilling

How singing in the office got Eric Shilling into trouble

Castaway · 30 May 1981Roy Plomley

Sir John Gielgud

01°12′S 094°20′W

Sir John Gielgud

John Gielgud on his only line as a spear-carrier in Henry V

Castaway · 16 May 1981Roy Plomley

08°55′S 138°00′W

Russell Harty

Russell Harty on turning down a Granada job for teaching

Castaway · 21 March 1981Roy Plomley

01°36′S 118°49′W

Mary O'Hara

How two breakdowns forced Mary O'Hara to leave the monastery

Castaway · 7 February 1981Roy Plomley

Neville Marriner

20°05′S 041°37′W

Neville Marriner

Neville Marriner on lining up children against each other at competitive music festivals

Castaway · 13 December 1980Roy Plomley

11°26′S 012°17′W

Tom Conti

How playing the guitar saved Tom Conti from crushing loneliness

Castaway · 22 November 1980Roy Plomley

08°05′S 105°32′W

Kiri Te Kanawa

Kiri Te Kanawa on her dramatic last-minute Metropolitan Opera debut

Castaway · 8 March 1980Roy Plomley

Sir Cecil Beaton

22°31′S 013°52′W

Sir Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton on first hearing the Merry Widow from a hurdy gurdy man aged five

Castaway · 26 January 1980Roy Plomley

02°57′S 018°28′W

Peter Ustinov

Peter Ustinov on being told his face would be hard to lose in a crowd

Castaway · 19 November 1977Roy Plomley

05°16′S 023°57′W

Len Deighton

How a blatant lie about German helped Len Deighton get a job at BOAC

Castaway · 19 June 1976Roy Plomley

Sir John Betjeman

07°36′S 141°06′W

Sir John Betjeman

John Betjeman on reciting his poetry in the bath

Castaway · 12 April 1975Roy Plomley

Earl of Harewood

00°42′S 167°04′W

Earl of Harewood

Earl of Harewood on reading Grove's musical dictionary up to the letter S as a POW

Castaway · 25 December 1965Roy Plomley