John Williams — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

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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

John Williams — Composer · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Composer

John Williams

13 episodes

Chosen over the decades

13

Total castaways

2010s

Peak decade

3

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Dame Esther Rantzen
David Davis MP
Howard Goodall
Jack Thorne
Jack Whitehall
Mona Siddiqui
Sarah Millican
Simon Pegg
Sir Anthony Seldon
Sir Martin Sorrell
Sister Frances Dominica
Thomas Keneally
Warwick Davis

Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg on phoning his stepdad from the set of Tintin
Castaway · 14 May 2023Lauren Laverne
Jack Thorne
Jack Thorne on being cast as Carrot Bum for being lonely and weird
Castaway · 12 December 2021Lauren 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

Dame Esther Rantzen

How Esther Rantzen faced 50,000 calls on ChildLine's first night

Castaway · 10 March 2019Lauren Laverne

18°03′S 018°31′W

Jack Whitehall

Jack Whitehall on dressing up as Robin Hood for every family function

Castaway · 4 February 2018Kirsty Young

06°48′S 036°03′W

Warwick Davis

Warwick Davis on going to sleep as himself and waking up as someone else

Castaway · 12 June 2016Kirsty Young

Sir Anthony Seldon

16°13′S 162°11′W

Sir Anthony Seldon

How a collapse of confidence in the US led Anthony Seldon to meditation and yoga

Castaway · 17 January 2016Kirsty Young

15°10′S 038°09′W

Sarah Millican

Sarah Millican on waking up to a blood-soaked bed because her shoes were too tight

Castaway · 14 December 2014Kirsty Young

21°14′S 060°50′W

Mona Siddiqui

Mona Siddiqui on dressing up as a bride and sitting silently for two hours in a school play

Castaway · 21 October 2012Kirsty Young

Sir Martin Sorrell

05°36′S 032°27′W

Sir Martin Sorrell

Martin Sorrell on the near-collapse of WPP in 1991

Castaway · 4 December 2011Kirsty Young

05°11′S 049°57′W

David Davis MP

David Davis on his stepfather making him face five bullies at age six

Castaway · 16 November 2008Kirsty Young

23°40′S 077°50′W

Howard Goodall

Howard Goodall on the first time a choir sang his music

Castaway · 25 May 2008Kirsty Young

Thomas Keneally

01°16′S 034°11′W

Thomas Keneally

Thomas Keneally on meeting a Schindler survivor in a Beverly Hills luggage store

Castaway · 22 July 2007Kirsty Young

Sister Frances Dominica

08°49′S 156°24′W

Sister Frances Dominica

Frances Dominica on the split-second she knew she had to become a nun

Castaway · 8 February 2004Sue Lawley