Donald Swann — Composer · 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

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

Donald Swann — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

Donald Swann

9 episodes

Chosen over the decades

9

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

George Martin
Julia Donaldson
Max Hastings
Most Rev Rt Hon Stuart Blanch
Nina Campbell
Professor Averil Mansfield
Quentin Blake
Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP
Sir Sydney Kentridge

Professor Averil Mansfield
Averil Mansfield on repeatedly removing her toy panda's appendix
Castaway · 18 October 2020Lauren Laverne
Sir Sydney Kentridge
Sydney Kentridge on representing three Nobel Peace Prize winners
Castaway · 31 March 2013Kirsty Young

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

Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson on her son persuading her to finish The Gruffalo

Castaway · 15 November 2009Kirsty Young

23°48′S 059°10′W

Quentin Blake

Quentin Blake on drawing with a waverly nib

Castaway · 1 October 2006Kirsty Young

Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP

08°07′S 157°47′W

Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP

Mo Mowlam on waking up goofy in three different beds

Castaway · 21 March 1999Sue Lawley

17°01′S 086°17′W

Nina Campbell

Nina Campbell on not being able to make a pair of curtains

Castaway · 16 March 1997Sue Lawley

19°34′S 122°48′W

Max Hastings

How Max Hastings walked into Port Stanley ahead of British troops

Castaway · 15 June 1986Michael Parkinson

05°31′S 039°54′W

George Martin

George Martin on ignoring Tommy Steele to sign the Vipers

Castaway · 31 July 1982Roy Plomley

Most Rev Rt Hon Stuart Blanch

07°35′S 005°41′W

Most Rev Rt Hon Stuart Blanch

Stuart Blanch on being accepted at the first Church of England selection conference in Calcutta

Castaway · 3 July 1976Roy Plomley