Joaquín Rodrigo — 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

Joaquín Rodrigo — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

Joaquín Rodrigo

24 episodes

Chosen over the decades

24

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

7

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Alison Steadman
Andrew Neil
Anita Roddick
Biddy Baxter
Carl Djerassi
Claire Rayner
David Lodge
Donald Pleasence
Dorothy Dunnett
Fran Landesman
General Sir Charles Guthrie
James Mason
June Spencer
Laurence Whistler
Magnus Magnusson
Marie Collier
Patricia Greene
Professor Jim Al-Khalili
Rita Streich
Robert Fisk
Simon Callow
Terry Hands
Twiggy

Patricia Greene
Patricia Greene on the golden eagle that landed at Brookfield
Castaway · 4 January 2026Lauren Laverne
June Spencer
June Spencer on climbing to the highest point of a desert island to shout Hallelujah
Castaway · 22 December 2024Lauren Laverne
Patricia Greene

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

Patricia Greene on being asked for dating advice by a stranger in Waitrose

Castaway · 27 December 2015Kirsty Young

05°08′S 143°15′W

Biddy Baxter

Biddy Baxter on being told nobody from Durham had ever joined the BBC

Castaway · 1 June 2014Kirsty Young

Professor Jim Al-Khalili

01°16′S 042°03′W

Professor Jim Al-Khalili

How a 4,000-volt near-miss sent Jim Al-Khalili from the lab to theory

Castaway · 14 February 2010Kirsty Young

18°08′S 169°01′W

Andrew Neil

Andrew Neil on the scoop that got his source kidnapped by Mossad

Castaway · 25 February 2007Kirsty Young

01°07′S 041°54′W

Robert Fisk

How Robert Fisk hit back when attacked by Afghan refugees

Castaway · 15 October 2006Kirsty Young

08°51′S 123°56′W

Carl Djerassi

Carl Djerassi on finding his daughter's body in the woods

Castaway · 20 October 2002Sue Lawley

General Sir Charles Guthrie

05°33′S 065°50′W

General Sir Charles Guthrie

How a bombing raid seemed frightfully exciting to a young Charles Guthrie

Castaway · 30 July 2000Sue Lawley

09°00′S 090°31′W

Simon Callow

Simon Callow on his character Gareth dying of Scottish dancing

Castaway · 6 February 2000Sue Lawley

08°49′S 093°21′W

Fran Landesman

Fran Landesman on the origin of Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most

Castaway · 22 September 1996Sue Lawley

Alison Steadman

22°43′S 122°18′W

Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman on her son taking a newspaper to stop her crying over a bad review

Castaway · 3 December 1995Sue Lawley

21°22′S 061°37′W

Twiggy

Twiggy on being called Styx before becoming Twiggy

Castaway · 8 January 1989Sue Lawley

19°24′S 095°11′W

Anita Roddick

Anita Roddick on being turned down by a bank in a Bob Dylan t-shirt with her babies

Castaway · 22 May 1988Michael Parkinson

10°13′S 075°57′W

David Lodge

David Lodge on writing his first novel while in the army

Castaway · 21 April 1984Roy Plomley

Dorothy Dunnett

12°34′S 077°17′W

Dorothy Dunnett

How running out of historical novels led Dorothy Dunnett to write her own

Castaway · 24 April 1982Roy Plomley

00°27′S 125°22′W

James Mason

James Mason on his shame at wanting to be an international star

Castaway · 26 September 1981Roy Plomley

19°03′S 063°26′W

Terry Hands

Terry Hands on applying to RADA as an afterthought

Castaway · 8 August 1981Roy Plomley

Donald Pleasence

16°27′S 050°44′W

Donald Pleasence

Donald Pleasence on winning a silver medal at a musical festival aged seven

Castaway · 29 March 1980Roy Plomley

01°19′S 083°48′W

Rita Streich

Rita Streich on being held tight by her mother as wolves approached the sledge in Siberia

Castaway · 15 July 1978Roy Plomley

22°19′S 053°00′W

Claire Rayner

Claire Rayner on being too pregnant for a tight-waisted uniform

Castaway · 22 October 1977Roy Plomley

Magnus Magnusson

13°38′S 174°34′W

Magnus Magnusson

Magnus Magnusson on discovering he was short-sighted during his first TV link

Castaway · 23 April 1977Roy 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

03°21′S 065°46′W

Marie Collier

Marie Collier on replacing Maria Callas in Tosca at short notice

Castaway · 21 February 1966Roy Plomley