Joan Armatrading — 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

Joan Armatrading — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Joan Armatrading

15 episodes

Chosen over the decades

15

Total castaways

2010s

Peak decade

4

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Ann Cleeves
Gillian Anderson
Helen Browning
Henry Marsh
Ken Livingstone MP
Kevin Whately
Monica Dolan
Peter White
Professor Hugh Montgomery
Professor Phil Scraton
Sir Ken Robinson
Sonia Boyce
Stanley Tucci
Stephen Poliakoff
Val Wilmer

Monica Dolan
Monica Dolan on secretly withdrawing her university application
Castaway · 27 July 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
Peter White

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

Peter White on nagging his mum to let him do the shopping

Castaway · 17 November 2023Lauren Laverne

16°44′S 179°54′W

Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci on being shocked by the erotic reaction to his negroni clip

Castaway · 2 July 2023Lauren Laverne

12°04′S 157°55′W

Sonia Boyce

Sonia Boyce on the exhibition that made her rip up all her work

Castaway · 26 February 2023Lauren Laverne

12°51′S 036°21′W

Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves on having a Shetland islander read each of her books before publication

Castaway · 17 February 2019Lauren Laverne

06°57′S 067°11′W

Henry Marsh

How a nightmarish hospital dash taught Henry Marsh to ask for help

Castaway · 23 September 2018Kirsty Young

Professor Phil Scraton

20°53′S 014°16′W

Professor Phil Scraton

Phil Scraton on watching a poor boy punished in assembly and knowing it was wrong

Castaway · 5 November 2017Kirsty Young

19°57′S 014°55′W

Helen Browning

Helen Browning on walking out of her A-levels to be with her dying brother

Castaway · 17 May 2015Kirsty Young

Professor Hugh Montgomery

17°24′S 061°08′W

Professor Hugh Montgomery

Hugh Montgomery on smuggling a patient to a Rolling Stones gig

Castaway · 23 February 2014Kirsty Young

Sir Ken Robinson

23°41′S 002°03′W

Sir Ken Robinson

Ken Robinson on meeting his wife Terry the week his father died

Castaway · 3 November 2013Kirsty Young

Stephen Poliakoff

16°05′S 060°35′W

Stephen Poliakoff

Stephen Poliakoff on his father lifting the dining table over peas

Castaway · 13 March 2005Sue Lawley

Gillian Anderson

15°22′S 166°10′W

Gillian Anderson

Gillian Anderson on going into therapy at 14 for drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity

Castaway · 12 January 2003Sue Lawley

19°10′S 101°29′W

Kevin Whately

Kevin Whately on considering a singing career while busking

Castaway · 15 September 1996Sue Lawley

Ken Livingstone MP

08°40′S 103°13′W

Ken Livingstone MP

Ken Livingstone on being greeted by the deputy whip as a horrible little monster

Castaway · 7 March 1993Sue Lawley