Emil Gilels

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

Emil Gilels — 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

2000s

Peak decade

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Claudio Arrau
James Ellroy
Joseph Cooper
Kingsley Amis
Philip Pullman
Sir Magdi Yacoub
Sir Paul Nurse

James Ellroy
James Ellroy on the relief he felt when his mother was murdered
Castaway · 17 January 2010Kirsty Young
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman on his Oxford English degree being a useless waste of time
Castaway · 6 October 2002Sue Lawley

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

Sir Paul Nurse

Paul Nurse on failing O-level French six times

Castaway · 10 February 2002Sue Lawley

Sir Magdi Yacoub

13°24′S 140°50′W

Sir Magdi Yacoub

Magdi Yacoub on his controversial baboon experiment

Castaway · 18 June 1995Sue Lawley

Kingsley Amis

17°03′S 135°26′W

Kingsley Amis

Kingsley Amis on his youthful plan to be a poet, not a novelist

Castaway · 9 November 1986Michael Parkinson

Joseph Cooper

08°38′S 167°37′W

Joseph Cooper

How keeping a dummy keyboard helped Joseph Cooper prepare for rescue

Castaway · 19 May 1973Roy Plomley

Claudio Arrau

14°46′S 017°36′W

Claudio Arrau

Claudio Arrau on teaching himself to read music before he could read words at age four

Castaway · 4 July 1960Roy Plomley

James Ellroy

Philip Pullman

Sir Magdi Yacoub

Kingsley Amis

Joseph Cooper

Claudio Arrau