Elvis Costello — 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
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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

Elvis Costello — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Elvis Costello

13 episodes

Chosen over the decades

13

Total castaways

2010s

Peak decade

4

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alan Bleasdale
Anne-Marie Duff
Carol Klein
Christina Lamb
David Tennant
Griff Rhys Jones
Jennifer Saunders
Jo Brand
Jonathan Agnew
Malcolm Gladwell
Robert Harris
Steven Pinker
Val McDermid

Carol Klein
Carol Klein on keeping a welcome home sign under her bed for a year
Castaway · 6 July 2025Lauren Laverne
Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff on the thousand letters that launched her acting career
Castaway · 25 March 2018Kirsty 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

Christina Lamb on women in Aleppo frying flour sandwiches to feed their children

Castaway · 21 January 2018Kirsty Young

Malcolm Gladwell

12°28′S 163°26′W

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell on the chance roommate who unlocked American journalism for him

Castaway · 10 August 2014Kirsty Young

05°00′S 153°44′W

Val McDermid

Val McDermid on the pizza that wasn't a pizza

Castaway · 14 July 2013Kirsty Young

19°12′S 030°52′W

Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker on the hate mail he got for using 'snuck'

Castaway · 30 June 2013Kirsty Young

00°11′S 090°18′W

Jonathan Agnew

Jonathan Agnew on digging a bear trap for Geoffrey Boycott

Castaway · 17 February 2013Kirsty Young

15°28′S 140°48′W

Robert Harris

Robert Harris on politics being his father's football

Castaway · 28 November 2010Kirsty Young

12°37′S 051°11′W

David Tennant

How reading chat room comments hurt David Tennant's eight-year-old self

Castaway · 27 December 2009Kirsty Young

09°06′S 142°37′W

Jo Brand

Jo Brand on being called fat, man-hating and feminist

Castaway · 18 March 2007Kirsty Young

Griff Rhys Jones

07°18′S 083°24′W

Griff Rhys Jones

Griff Rhys Jones on missing his cue as Rosencrantz while playing poker

Castaway · 11 February 2001Sue Lawley

Jennifer Saunders

06°07′S 086°08′W

Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders on initially repelling Dawn French

Castaway · 22 December 1996Sue Lawley

09°41′S 126°58′W

Alan Bleasdale

Alan Bleasdale on writing in a converted toilet with his dad's cement mixer outside

Castaway · 25 August 1991Sue Lawley