The Prophet

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

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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

The Prophet — Book · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Book

8 episodes

Chosen over the decades

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Bertice Reading
Chaka Khan
Christina Dodwell
David Rendall
Emma Grede
General H Norman Schwarzkopf
Gloria Swanson
Ron Goodwin

Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan on the only Christmas she remembers as a child
Castaway · 16 August 2026Lauren Laverne
Emma Grede
Emma Grede on making a full roast dinner for six by age 12
Castaway · 2 August 2026Lauren 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

07°12′S 158°40′W

Christina Dodwell

Christina Dodwell on her raft flipping upside down in Papua New Guinea

Castaway · 6 March 1994Sue Lawley

General H Norman Schwarzkopf

00°49′S 066°06′W

General H Norman Schwarzkopf

Norman Schwarzkopf on his five-year-old son's drawing of a general

Castaway · 1 November 1992Sue Lawley

David Rendall

18°21′S 170°37′W

David Rendall

David Rendall on the conductor who died in his arms

Castaway · 27 October 1984Roy Plomley

Ron Goodwin

15°13′S 113°23′W

Ron Goodwin

Ron Goodwin on discovering his love of music at a school orchestra

Castaway · 11 August 1984Roy Plomley

Bertice Reading

10°10′S 045°10′W

Bertice Reading

Bertice Reading on being born in a toilet

Castaway · 7 January 1984Roy Plomley

Gloria Swanson

23°04′S 052°24′W

Gloria Swanson

Gloria Swanson on being fired by Charlie Chaplin

Castaway · 4 July 1981Roy Plomley