George Butterworth

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

George Butterworth — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

10 episodes

Chosen over the decades

Total castaways

1970s

Peak decade

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Emlyn Williams
Jeffrey Tate
Kenny Everett
Laurence Whistler
Nina Bawden
Paul Eddington
Peter White
Roy Dotrice
U A Fanthorpe

Peter White
Peter White on nagging his mum to let him do the shopping
Castaway · 17 November 2023Lauren Laverne
U A Fanthorpe
U A Fanthorpe on re-baptising herself from Ursula
Castaway · 9 May 2004Sue Lawley
Nina Bawden

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

Nina Bawden on evacuating with her best friend Jean at 14

Castaway · 2 April 1995Sue Lawley

Kenny Everett

18°05′S 004°35′W

Kenny Everett

Kenny Everett on being left hanging in a harness during a Quasimodo sketch

Castaway · 24 October 1993Sue Lawley

Jeffrey Tate

14°39′S 017°57′W

Jeffrey Tate

Jeffrey Tate on improvising at the piano while reading a book

Castaway · 12 February 1989Sue Lawley

Paul Eddington

17°44′S 081°42′W

Paul Eddington

Paul Eddington on his first job as a window dresser

Castaway · 22 August 1981Roy Plomley

Roy Dotrice

04°45′S 141°27′W

Roy Dotrice

Roy Dotrice on playing female roles in a POW camp

Castaway · 29 January 1977Roy Plomley

Emlyn Williams

02°45′S 070°11′W

Emlyn Williams

How a biography of Charles Dickens led Emlyn Williams to create a one-man show

Castaway · 15 February 1975Roy Plomley

Laurence Whistler

19°21′S 001°13′W

Laurence Whistler

How writing a poem on a window led Laurence Whistler to glass engraving

Castaway · 10 July 1971Roy Plomley

Emlyn Williams

06°07′S 037°46′W

Emlyn Williams

Emlyn Williams on choosing eerie opening chords with producer Miles Mallison

Castaway · 7 June 1955Roy Plomley