Dylan Thomas — Composer · 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
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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

Dylan Thomas — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

Dylan Thomas

18 episodes

Chosen over the decades

18

Total castaways

2010s

Peak decade

7

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

David Baddiel
Dr Jane Goodall
Emlyn Williams
Eve Stewart
George McGavin
Gerald Scarfe
Gillian Reynolds
James Cameron
Janet Holmes à Court
Julia Cleverdon
Julian Symons
Lord Joffe
Lucy Gannon
Roger McGough
Rosemary Sutcliff
Sir Kenneth Grange
Tim Martin
Vincent Brome

George McGavin
George McGavin on the Attenborough programme about spider sex that captivated him as a child
Castaway · 7 February 2021Lauren Laverne
Gillian Reynolds
Gillian Reynolds on the red dots that proved she was born lucky
Castaway · 3 June 2018Kirsty 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

David Baddiel on his father calling English a waste of a brain

Castaway · 27 May 2018Kirsty Young

00°30′S 159°44′W

Tim Martin

Tim Martin on his failed attempt to become a world champion squash player

Castaway · 3 December 2017Kirsty Young

Sir Kenneth Grange

20°20′S 087°54′W

Sir Kenneth Grange

Kenneth Grange on designing his own coffin that doubles as a bookcase

Castaway · 1 January 2017Kirsty Young

Julia Cleverdon

03°28′S 114°03′W

Julia Cleverdon

Julia Cleverdon on her father locking Dylan Thomas in a library to finish Under Milk Wood

Castaway · 18 January 2015Kirsty Young

07°56′S 112°59′W

Eve Stewart

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

Castaway · 4 August 2013Kirsty Young

01°23′S 050°27′W

Lord Joffe

Joffe on first meeting Nelson Mandela in a prison consulting room

Castaway · 28 October 2007Kirsty Young

Dr Jane Goodall

21°07′S 015°07′W

Dr Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall on the moment a chimpanzee squeezed her hand

Castaway · 9 January 2000Sue Lawley

14°57′S 142°28′W

Lucy Gannon

Lucy Gannon on a friend's memory of her writing poems while playing with birds

Castaway · 30 August 1998Sue Lawley

Janet Holmes à Court

11°34′S 125°05′W

Janet Holmes à Court

Janet Holmes à Court on making cups of tea for her husband

Castaway · 19 May 1996Sue Lawley

08°44′S 044°56′W

Roger McGough

Roger McGough on having his mind opened by French poets at Hull University

Castaway · 10 April 1994Sue Lawley

18°17′S 162°25′W

Gerald Scarfe

How Gerald Scarfe couldn't draw what he saw in Vietnam

Castaway · 12 March 1989Sue Lawley

Rosemary Sutcliff

20°07′S 161°19′W

Rosemary Sutcliff

Rosemary Sutcliff on her first memory of a caged squirrel

Castaway · 1 October 1983Roy Plomley

10°39′S 118°02′W

Julian Symons

Julian Symons on being unable to find Middle C after seven years of piano lessons

Castaway · 15 May 1982Roy Plomley

11°46′S 006°56′W

James Cameron

How a six-pound weekly budget sent James Cameron to France

Castaway · 5 May 1979Roy Plomley

16°09′S 049°51′W

Vincent Brome

Vincent Brome on wanting an inflatable woman to write on

Castaway · 6 March 1976Roy Plomley

06°07′S 037°46′W

Emlyn Williams

Emlyn Williams on choosing eerie opening chords with producer Miles Mallison

Castaway · 7 June 1955Roy Plomley