Writing materials — Luxury · 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
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

Writing materials — Luxury · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Luxury

Writing materials

105 episodes

Chosen over the decades

105

Total castaways

1960s

Peak decade

8

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Adam Kay
Alan Bullock
Alan Pascoe
Alan Plater
Andrew Motion
Anna Pavord
Anne Fine
Anthony Newley
A S Byatt
Baroness Arminka Helić
Beryl Bainbridge
Bill Fraser
Bransby Williams
Carroll Gibbons
Chris Haskins
Christina Lamb
Clarkson Rose
Coco the Clown
Dame Joan Bakewell
Dame Prue Leith
Daniel Radcliffe
David Almond
Dawn Addams
Denise Robertson
more

Jonathan Lynn
How writers failing to deliver a script led Jonathan Lynn to write his first TV episode
Castaway · 20 October 1984Roy Plomley
Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson on dropping his rifle on a polished boot and being knocked unconscious
Castaway · 24 September 1983Roy Plomley

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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
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

Julian Bream on being caught playing his father's guitar

Castaway · 9 July 1983Roy Plomley

14°59′S 101°01′W

Terry Jones

Terry Jones on hiding upstairs to write poems as a boy

Castaway · 2 July 1983Roy Plomley

Peter Maxwell Davies

15°46′S 017°29′W

Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies on being taken to see The Gondoliers at age four

Castaway · 25 June 1983Roy Plomley

19°11′S 079°16′W

Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis on being inspired by Madam Butterfly at age 12

Castaway · 25 December 1982Roy Plomley

06°45′S 085°46′W

Lord Tonypandy

Castaway · 30 October 1982Roy Plomley

Rt Hon. George Thomas

07°13′S 045°07′W

Rt Hon. George Thomas

George Thomas on his mother's resolve that he would not go down the pit

Castaway · 30 October 1982Roy Plomley

Lord Bernard Miles

13°21′S 173°45′W

Lord Bernard Miles

Bernard Miles on early morning trips to Covent Garden aged five

Castaway · 20 March 1982Roy Plomley

10°25′S 061°32′W

Morris West

How a terrifying violin teacher stopped Morris West from learning the violin

Castaway · 27 June 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

00°23′S 020°47′W

Richard Buckle

How Richard Buckle spent £75,000 to save Diaghilev's costumes

Castaway · 15 September 1979Roy Plomley

Peter Barkworth

22°04′S 037°03′W

Peter Barkworth

Peter Barkworth on his father offering £2.15 a week for drama school

Castaway · 1 September 1979Roy Plomley

12°32′S 103°25′W

Ian Carmichael

Ian Carmichael on his first role as a robot

Castaway · 9 June 1979Roy Plomley

Patricia Highsmith

05°49′S 059°44′W

Patricia Highsmith

Patricia Highsmith on the 300-page novel she abandoned at 23

Castaway · 21 April 1979Roy Plomley

Professor Alan Gemmell

11°58′S 044°52′W

Professor Alan Gemmell

Alan Gemmell on how his mother declared him a botanist after a neighbour's suggestion

Castaway · 12 November 1977Roy Plomley

20°10′S 038°49′W

Miss Read

Miss Read on her father’s horror at her Fleet Street plans

Castaway · 2 July 1977Roy Plomley

Jacqueline Du Pre

20°21′S 038°14′W

Jacqueline Du Pre

Jacqueline Du Pre on nearly drowning out the music with her tears

Castaway · 19 March 1977Roy Plomley

20°14′S 177°33′W

Alan Pascoe

Alan Pascoe on why he switched to the 400m hurdles rather than take drugs

Castaway · 10 July 1976Roy Plomley

Douglas Fairbanks Jnr

22°33′S 159°17′W

Douglas Fairbanks Jnr

Douglas Fairbanks Jnr on being sacked from his first film job at 13

Castaway · 29 May 1976Roy Plomley

John Julius Norwich

06°58′S 037°55′W

John Julius Norwich

John Julius Norwich on attending the Nuremberg trials as a schoolboy

Castaway · 18 October 1975Roy Plomley

01°00′S 172°21′W

Gwen Berryman

Gwen Berryman on being named Margarita after the character in Faust

Castaway · 1 January 1972Roy Plomley

00°15′S 049°09′W

Dr Roy Strong

Roy Strong on buying a long-lost portrait of Milton for £22

Castaway · 7 March 1970Roy Plomley

13°55′S 172°32′W

Alan Bullock

Castaway · 18 April 1966Roy Plomley

09°43′S 070°36′W

Bill Fraser

Castaway · 7 March 1966Roy Plomley

Sir William Coldstream

23°21′S 173°11′W

Sir William Coldstream

Castaway · 20 December 1965Roy Plomley

Reverend David Sheppard

07°24′S 012°46′W

Reverend David Sheppard

Castaway · 27 September 1965Roy Plomley

05°31′S 054°04′W

Harold Pinter

Castaway · 14 June 1965Roy Plomley

16°26′S 057°08′W

Hugh Lloyd

Hugh Lloyd on his decision never to laugh at his own jokes

Castaway · 7 June 1965Roy Plomley

06°54′S 153°48′W

Hayley Mills

Castaway · 10 May 1965Roy Plomley

18°04′S 109°10′W

Dawn Addams

Castaway · 11 January 1965Roy Plomley

Stephen Grenfell

23°34′S 133°37′W

Stephen Grenfell

Castaway · 10 August 1964Roy Plomley

Dorian Williams

16°58′S 131°02′W

Dorian Williams

Castaway · 6 July 1964Roy Plomley

14°39′S 148°18′W

Ethel Revnell

Castaway · 6 January 1964Roy Plomley

03°12′S 019°11′W

Coco the Clown

Castaway · 23 December 1963Roy Plomley

Dr Reginald Jacques

06°09′S 109°18′W

Dr Reginald Jacques

Castaway · 26 August 1963Roy Plomley

09°36′S 129°37′W

Clarkson Rose

Castaway · 24 December 1962Roy Plomley

00°22′S 016°56′W

Louis Kentner

Castaway · 19 March 1962Roy Plomley

23°24′S 166°29′W

Irene Handl

Castaway · 5 March 1962Roy Plomley

22°53′S 059°13′W

Paul Gallico

Castaway · 4 December 1961Roy Plomley

21°08′S 083°28′W

Virgil Thomson

Castaway · 20 November 1961Roy Plomley

00°30′S 043°47′W

Gerald Durrell

Castaway · 7 August 1961Roy Plomley

Yvonne Mitchell

22°29′S 155°50′W

Yvonne Mitchell

Castaway · 31 July 1961Roy Plomley

17°35′S 114°00′W

Julian Bream

Julian Bream on his first professional engagement at a Russian prince's party

Castaway · 5 June 1961Roy Plomley

Geoffrey Talbot

05°03′S 052°00′W

Geoffrey Talbot

Castaway · 29 August 1960Roy Plomley

18°29′S 166°52′W

Marie Rambert

Castaway · 30 May 1960Roy Plomley

07°30′S 050°34′W

Anthony Newley

Castaway · 25 April 1960Roy Plomley

09°51′S 044°52′W

S P B Mais

Castaway · 4 January 1960Roy Plomley

20°41′S 137°31′W

Norman Fisher

Castaway · 10 August 1959Roy Plomley

Bransby Williams

20°49′S 006°29′W

Bransby Williams

Bransby Williams on dressing among seals and sea lions at his first theatre job

Castaway · 4 November 1957Roy Plomley