Lotte Lenya — 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
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Lotte Lenya — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Lotte Lenya

26 episodes

Chosen over the decades

25

Total castaways

1990s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alexei Sayle
Anne Scott James
Baroness Blackstone
Dannie Abse
David Owen
Deborah Levy
Dr Jacob Bronowski
Fran Landesman
Jane Horrocks
John Bird
Ken Loach
Lisa Jardine
Malcolm Bradbury
Margaret Atwood
Maurice Saatchi
Michael Bogdanov
Nina Cassian
Professor Ralf Dahrendorf
Ralph Koltai
Robert Carrier
Robert Robinson
Rt Hon Lord Sainsbury
Sir Osbert Lancaster
Umberto Eco
more

Deborah Levy
Deborah Levy on being asked if she was dumb at school
Castaway · 16 January 2022Lauren Laverne
Alexei Sayle
How Alexei Sayle got fired on his 40th birthday
Castaway · 23 May 2021Lauren Laverne
Lisa Jardine

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

How asking for a glass of water helped Lisa Jardine be heard in a room

Castaway · 7 June 2015Kirsty Young

12°28′S 050°02′W

Jane Horrocks

Jane Horrocks on discovering her talent for impersonation

Castaway · 8 October 2006Kirsty Young

Anne Scott James

22°47′S 055°45′W

Anne Scott James

Anne Scott James on looking after her epileptic brother John

Castaway · 10 October 2004Sue Lawley

Rt Hon Lord Sainsbury

19°09′S 165°32′W

Rt Hon Lord Sainsbury

David Sainsbury on being asked to choose a Henry Moore drawing as a birthday present as a small boy

Castaway · 1 February 2004Sue Lawley

Margaret Atwood

04°34′S 035°25′W

Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood on writing her first poem while crossing a football field

Castaway · 13 April 2003Sue Lawley

23°13′S 094°09′W

John Bird

John Bird on performing when no one else would for the money

Castaway · 28 May 2000Sue Lawley

04°29′S 013°19′W

Ken Loach

Ken Loach on having his documentaries banned from television

Castaway · 18 April 1999Sue Lawley

11°15′S 087°45′W

Nina Cassian

Nina Cassian on being declared a non person overnight

Castaway · 14 February 1999Sue Lawley

01°18′S 151°36′W

Ralph Koltai

How a badly painted sign led Ralph Koltai to art school

Castaway · 23 August 1998Sue Lawley

23°17′S 027°12′W

Ursula Owen

Ursula Owen on weeping outside her parents' house

Castaway · 14 September 1997Sue Lawley

08°49′S 093°21′W

Fran Landesman

Fran Landesman on the origin of Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

Castaway · 22 September 1996Sue Lawley

00°02′S 105°02′W

Umberto Eco

How a friend's request for a short story led Umberto Eco to write The Name of the Rose

Castaway · 12 November 1995Sue Lawley

Maurice Saatchi

22°20′S 098°49′W

Maurice Saatchi

Maurice Saatchi on being carried off the field after a cricket ball ended his sporting career

Castaway · 24 September 1995Sue Lawley

Baroness Blackstone

22°43′S 167°04′W

Baroness Blackstone

Tessa Blackstone on being dubbed dark-eyed evil genius

Castaway · 25 April 1993Sue Lawley

Professor Ralf Dahrendorf

05°11′S 015°47′W

Professor Ralf Dahrendorf

Ralf Dahrendorf on being called a social democrat in the Hitler Youth

Castaway · 3 February 1991Sue Lawley

00°31′S 174°39′W

David Owen

David Owen on accidentally winning a seat he didn't expect to win

Castaway · 3 July 1988Michael Parkinson

23°29′S 043°53′W

Robert Carrier

Robert Carrier on painting large canvases of food and nude women

Castaway · 15 November 1987Michael Parkinson

Michael Bogdanov

00°52′S 142°37′W

Michael Bogdanov

Michael Bogdanov on how a friend's letter to Trinity College Dublin earned him a place

Castaway · 19 April 1987Michael Parkinson

10°29′S 084°03′W

Peter Fluck & Roger Law

Peter Fluck and Roger Law on splitting their desert island by the high tide

Castaway · 1 February 1987Michael Parkinson

Malcolm Bradbury

16°41′S 107°14′W

Malcolm Bradbury

Malcolm Bradbury on avoiding games by writing books

Castaway · 20 August 1983Roy Plomley

Sir Osbert Lancaster

04°51′S 164°33′W

Sir Osbert Lancaster

How Osbert Lancaster timed his daily cartoons to the evening paper editions

Castaway · 22 December 1979Roy Plomley

13°14′S 177°50′W

Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse on being told he looked, read and wrote like Dylan Thomas

Castaway · 27 August 1977Roy Plomley

Robert Robinson

08°17′S 019°39′W

Robert Robinson

Robert Robinson on comparing a desert island to a stuck lift

Castaway · 16 August 1975Roy Plomley

Dr Jacob Bronowski

04°24′S 046°38′W

Dr Jacob Bronowski

Jacob Bronowski on telling the BBC he didn't mean to make a science series like Kenneth Clark's

Castaway · 5 January 1974Roy Plomley