Flora and fauna guide — Book · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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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

Flora and fauna guide — Book · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Book

Flora and fauna guide

9 episodes

Chosen over the decades

9

Total castaways

1970s

Peak decade

5

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Arthur Lowe
Dan Pearson
Monica Dolan
Oliver Ford
Peter Melchett
Phil Edmonds
Robert Dougall
Sir Ian McKellen
U A Fanthorpe

Monica Dolan
Monica Dolan on secretly withdrawing her university application
Castaway · 27 July 2025Lauren Laverne
Dan Pearson
How a walk in the Picos Mountains gave Dan Pearson a gardening epiphany
Castaway · 8 February 2015Kirsty Young
U A Fanthorpe

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

U A Fanthorpe on re-baptising herself from Ursula

Castaway · 9 May 2004Sue Lawley

Sir Ian McKellen

19°00′S 131°38′W

Sir Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen on how coming out improved his acting

Castaway · 9 February 2003Sue Lawley

22°39′S 081°23′W

Peter Melchett

Peter Melchett on feeling nervous during direct action against GM crops

Castaway · 30 January 2000Sue Lawley

02°05′S 161°50′W

Phil Edmonds

Phil Edmonds on his family being ostracized as 'Kaffa Booties' in Zambia

Castaway · 19 October 1986Michael Parkinson

18°02′S 056°30′W

Oliver Ford

Oliver Ford on finding himself in the middle of a minefield

Castaway · 5 March 1977Roy Plomley

19°44′S 115°03′W

Robert Dougall

Robert Dougall on watching wax models writhe in a fire during the Blitz

Castaway · 8 January 1977Roy Plomley

01°34′S 137°38′W

Arthur Lowe

How staging a play in the Sinai Desert launched Arthur Lowe's theatre career

Castaway · 12 December 1970Roy Plomley