BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

Society EN ↓ 2000 episodes

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Author

BBC Radio 4

Episodes

Brian Aldiss 34:49

Roy Plomley's castaway is novelist and critic Brian Aldiss. Favourite track: Sonata In A by Franz Schubert Book: Rasselas by Dr Samuel Johnson Luxury: Time machine

Dorothy Dunnett 35:32

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer Dorothy Dunnett. Favourite track: Symphony No. 7 In A Major by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Luxury: Guitar

Jenny Agutter 34:24

Roy Plomley's castaway is actress Jenny Agutter. Favourite track: Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams Book: The Oxford Book of English Verse by Arthur Quiller-Couch Luxury: Oriental rug

Lucia Popp 35:22

Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Lucia Popp. Favourite track: Teddy Bears' Picnic by Henry Hall and BBC Dance Orchestra Book: The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann Luxury: Teddy bear

Julian Symons 33:56

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer Julian Symons. Favourite track: The Quarry by W. H. Auden Book: Bleak House by Charles Dickens Luxury: Couch

Marti Webb 28:38

Roy Plomley's castaway is actress and singer Marti Webb. Favourite track: The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler Of Bexhill-0n-Sea by The Goons Book: Illustrated dictionary Luxury: Piano

Desmond Hawkins 33:58

Roy Plomley's castaway is founder of the BBC's Natural History Unit Desmond Hawkins. Favourite track: Octet In F Major by Franz Schubert Book: Field guide to the birds of the island Luxury: Binoculars

Delia Smith 33:56

Roy Plomley's castaway is cookery expert Delia Smith. Favourite track: Lief by Rhos Male Choir Book: Autobiography by Saint Therese of Lisieux Luxury: Writing materials

Sir Anton Dolin 33:52

Roy Plomley's castaway is choreographer Sir Anton Dolin. Favourite track: La Traviata Act 3 Prelude by Giuseppe Verdi Book: Friends and Memories by Sir Anton Dolin Luxury: Electric razor

Eric Newby 36:10

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer Eric Newby. Favourite track: The Flies Crawled Up The Window by Jack Hulbert Book: Dictionary of National Biography Luxury: Whisky

John Mortimer QC 34:54

Roy Plomley's castaway is barrister John Mortimer QC. Favourite track: Soave Sia Il Vento by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: The Oxford Book of English Verse by Arthur Quiller-Couch Luxury: Bath

Captain Jacques Cousteau 35:29

Roy Plomley's castaway is oceanographer Captain Jacques Cousteau. Favourite track: Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue In D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach Book: Essays by Michel de Montaigne Luxury: Stone from stomach of a fossilised dinosaur

Pamela Stephenson 34:43

Roy Plomley's castaway is actress Pamela Stephenson. Favourite track: Legong Kraton by Gong Kebyar Book: Buddhist scripture by Dama Pada Luxury: Television set with satellite link-up

Lyall Watson 36:20

Roy Plomley's castaway is marine biologist Lyall Watson. Favourite track: The Call Of A Burchell's Coucal Book: Pears Cyclopaedia Luxury: Film projector and 20 Western films

George Martin 33:20

Roy Plomley's castaway is record producer George Martin. Favourite track: St Matthew Passion (Opening) by Johann Sebastian Bach Book: Manual on practical engineering Luxury: Clavichord

Dame Janet Baker 34:23

Roy Plomley's castaway is mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker. Favourite track: Sonata In A Minor by Domenico Scarlatti Book: Persuasion by Jane Austen Luxury: Pencils and paper

Donald Sinden 35:53

Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Donald Sinden. Favourite track: Symphony No. 6 In F Major by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method by Sir Banister Fletcher Luxury: His favourite picture in the Walker Art Gallery

Carl Davis 33:59

Roy Plomley's castaway is composer Carl Davis. Favourite track: Hm, hm, hm! (from The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Short Stories by Anton Chekhov Luxury: Shampoo

Duke & Duchess of Devonshire 34:11

Roy Plomley's castaways are the Duke & Duchess Of Devonshire. Favourite track: You're The Top by Ethel Merman Book: Books by Beatrix Potter and Chambers' Biographical Dictionary Luxury: New potatoes and aftershave

Claire Bloom 35:53

Roy Plomley's castaway is actress Claire Bloom. Favourite track: Soave Sia Il Vento by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust Luxury: Coffee and espresso machine

James Loughran 35:39

Roy Plomley's castaway is conductor James Loughran. Favourite track: Mir Ist So Wunderbar by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: Comprehensive world airways timetable Luxury: Drawing and painting equipment

Carlo Curley 35:30

Roy Plomley's castaway is organist Carlo Curley. Favourite track: Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen by Johannes Brahms Book: Cookery book by Julia Childs Luxury: Pipe organ

Wilbur Smith 32:37

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer Wilbur Smith. Favourite track: Symphony No. 3 in E Flat Major by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: The Oxford English Dictionary Luxury: Brass bedstead and a feather mattress

David Lloyd Jones 35:31

Roy Plomley's castaway is artistic director of Opera North David Lloyd Jones. Favourite track: Symphony No. 9 In C by Franz Schubert Book: Journal by Edmond Goncourt

N.Busch, J.Kuchmy, M.Parry, M.Wilson 31:05

Roy Plomley's castaways are members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Book: Books by Hector Berlioz, Charles Dickens, Hugh Johnson and a cookery book Luxury: Razor and shaving soap, a video player with a tape of Laurel & Hardy, wine and a violin