The Complete Works of Charles Dickens — Book · desert is.land

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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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

The Complete Works of Charles Dickens — Book · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Book

The Complete Works of Charles Dickens

10 episodes

Chosen over the decades

10

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

David Morrissey
Dustin Hoffman
Elaine Paige
Eve Stewart
George Baker
Jack Higgins
Phil Redmond
Professor Nick Webborn
Sir Trevor Nunn
Victoria Wood

David Morrissey
David Morrissey on being born in a house with an outside toilet and a tin bath
Castaway · 10 May 2026Lauren Laverne
Professor Nick Webborn
Nick Webborn on the moment he heard a crack in his neck on a rugby field
Castaway · 27 February 2022Lauren Laverne

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 Eve Stewart's father went to a party and never came back

Castaway · 4 August 2013Kirsty Young

04°12′S 079°15′W

Dustin Hoffman

How slipping his headshot under a door helped Dustin Hoffman deal with rejection

Castaway · 2 December 2012Kirsty Young

18°31′S 013°30′W

Victoria Wood

Victoria Wood on her childhood home crammed with junk from bombsites

Castaway · 23 December 2007Kirsty Young

07°43′S 175°23′W

Jack Higgins

Jack Higgins on the IRA bomb his step-grandfather carried him from

Castaway · 5 March 2006Sue Lawley

Sir Trevor Nunn

17°41′S 148°54′W

Sir Trevor Nunn

Trevor Nunn on the fragment about Grizabella that inspired the song Memory

Castaway · 26 January 2003Sue Lawley

20°50′S 175°17′W

Phil Redmond

Phil Redmond on vetoing a glue sniffing storyline for Grange Hill

Castaway · 15 January 1995Sue Lawley

12°59′S 067°13′W

Elaine Paige

Elaine Paige on her fourth audition for Evita thinking ‘Here we go again’

Castaway · 12 July 1987Michael Parkinson

08°10′S 154°57′W

George Baker

George Baker on taking to the piano like a duck to water

Castaway · 5 April 1965Roy Plomley