Talking Heads — 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

Talking Heads — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Talking Heads

14 episodes

Chosen over the decades

14

Total castaways

2010s

Peak decade

3

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Bill Bailey
Billie Piper
Edmund de Waal
Guy Singh-Watson
Harry Hill
Jo Nesbø
Lisa Jardine
Peter Carey
Samantha Morton
Sonia Boyce
Stella McCartney
Steve Coogan
Thom Yorke
Tom Hanks

Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø on his father's New Year's Eve story of a comrade's head exploding
Castaway · 21 June 2026Lauren Laverne
Harry Hill
How Eric Burden’s “You’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” helped Harry Hill quit medicine
Castaway · 3 August 2025Lauren Laverne
Sonia Boyce

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

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

Castaway · 26 February 2023Lauren Laverne

16°59′S 059°35′W

Billie Piper

How Chris Evans taught Billie Piper to stop reading about herself

Castaway · 9 May 2021Lauren Laverne

Samantha Morton

17°25′S 110°36′W

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton on snapping and fighting back against a bully in a homeless hostel

Castaway · 4 October 2020Lauren Laverne

07°35′S 163°58′W

Thom Yorke

Thom Yorke on the eye surgery that used muscle from his buttocks

Castaway · 22 September 2019Lauren Laverne

Guy Singh-Watson

13°14′S 109°20′W

Guy Singh-Watson

Guy Singh-Watson on lying to a competitor during a consulting interview

Castaway · 1 July 2018Kirsty Young

Stella McCartney

03°27′S 129°19′W

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney on her children telling Paul McCartney to shut up while he played guitar

Castaway · 25 June 2017Kirsty Young

18°32′S 118°10′W

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks on what his teacher Mrs Castle saw in him

Castaway · 8 May 2016Kirsty Young

20°44′S 111°23′W

Lisa Jardine

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

Castaway · 7 June 2015Kirsty Young

15°32′S 088°23′W

Edmund de Waal

Edmund de Waal on the joyful sound of breaking porcelain

Castaway · 25 November 2012Kirsty Young

13°59′S 149°55′W

Steve Coogan

How Patrick Marber used Steve Coogan's own words for Alan Partridge

Castaway · 11 October 2009Kirsty Young

14°38′S 051°26′W

Peter Carey

Peter Carey on his mother's daily battle as a spare parts manager

Castaway · 20 June 2008Kirsty Young

01°59′S 059°34′W

Bill Bailey

Bill Bailey on rehearsing his act during a delirious walk home

Castaway · 8 June 2008Kirsty Young