List of Desert Island Discs episodes (2011–present)
The BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs invites castaways to choose eight pieces of music, a book (in addition to the Bible – or a religious text appropriate to that person's beliefs – and the Complete Works of Shakespeare) and a luxury item that they would take to an imaginary desert island, where they will be marooned indefinitely.
The rules state that the chosen luxury item must not be anything animate or indeed anything that enables the castaway to escape from the island, for instance a radio set, sailing yacht or aeroplane. The choices of book and luxury can sometimes give insight into the guest's life, and the choices of guests since 2011 are listed here.
Desert Island Discs takes two short breaks, in (the northern) spring and summer. BBC Radio 4 broadcasts new programmes for approximately 42 weeks each year on Sunday mornings, usually with a repeat transmission 5 days later. On Remembrance Sunday (in November) the programme is not broadcast but that week's programme gets a single airing in the Friday repeat slot.
2011
Date | Castaway | Book | Luxury | More info |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 January 2011 | Iveson, TonyTony Iveson | A volume of W. Somerset Maugham's short stories | Two established vines and a tin bath to make wine | more |
9 January 2011 | Brandreth, GylesGyles Brandreth | The complete plays of Anton Chekhov | Michelangelo's Pietà | more |
16 January 2011 | Salmond, Rt Hon AlexRt Hon Alex Salmond | The complete works of Robert Burns | A sand wedge and endless golf balls for playing golf | more |
23 January 2011 | Driver, BettyBetty Driver | Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier | Eau de Soir perfume by Sisley | more |
30 January 2011 | Snow, JonJon Snow | Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin | A set of watercolours and an endless supply of paper | more |
6 February 2011 | Jacobson, HowardHoward Jacobson | Oxford Book of English Verse | A never ending supply of pressed shirts and trousers | more |
13 February 2011 | Imrie, CeliaCelia Imrie | Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | A cut glass crystal chandelier with candles | more |
20 February 2011 | Dallaglio, LawrenceLawrence Dallaglio | Ripley's World by Andy Ripley | A great big jar of Marmite | more |
27 February 2011 | Owers, Dame AnneDame Anne Owers | An anthology of British poetry | A solar powered word processor | more |
3 April 2011 | Sheen, MartinMartin Sheen | The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky | Golf clubs | more |
10 April 2011 | Gilliam, TerryTerry Gilliam | Dictionary | A mirror | more |
17 April 2011 | Green, FelicityFelicity Green | Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim | A bronze sculpture by Giles Penny | more |
24 April 2011 | Kidston, CathCath Kidston | The Larousse French/English Dictionary | Hot water bottle | |
1 May 2011 | Phillips, Professor DavidProfessor David Phillips | War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | Piano with music | more |
8 May 2011 | Parkin, MollyMolly Parkin | The History of the Colony by Sophie Parkin | Her entire outfit including her Andrew Logan brooch | more |
15 May 2011 | Kwei-Armah, KwameKwame Kwei-Armah | The complete works of August Wilson | A basic word processor | more |
22 May 2011 | Harry, DebbieDebbie Harry | War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | Paints and paper | more |
29 May 2011 | Waters, RogerRoger Waters | All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy | Grand piano | more |
5 June 2011 | Boe, AlfieAlfie Boe | A tropical recipe book | His own drum kit | more |
12 June 2011 | Levy, AndreaAndrea Levy | Roget's Thesaurus | Mosquito repellent | more |
19 June 2011 | Goodman, LenLen Goodman | An anthology of British poetry | Set of golf clubs and balls | more |
26 June 2011 | Walter, Dame HarrietDame Harriet Walter | The complete works of Isabella Bird | Flute | more |
3 July 2011 | Robinson, TonyTony Robinson | Middlemarch by George Eliot | Luxury mattress and pillow | |
10 July 2011 | Graham, Reverend JohnReverend John Graham | The complete works of Saki | A telescope | more |
17 July 2011 | McIntyre, MichaelMichael McIntyre | The Complete Prose of Woody Allen | Pen | |
24 July 2011 | Rabbatts, HeatherHeather Rabbatts | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | A solar powered digital photo album | |
31 July 2011 | Baker, DannyDanny Baker | The Most of S J Perelman | His blue suede shoe | more |
18 September 2011 | Clunes, MartinMartin Clunes | Puckoon by Spike Milligan | An electric guitar | more |
25 September 2011 | Edwards, ArthurArthur Edwards | A photographic album with pictures of his family | An inexhaustible supply of tea and a kettle | |
2 October 2011 | Wood, AnneAnne Wood | Cotillion by Georgette Heyer | Paper, pen and watercolours to record the plant life on the island | more |
9 October 2011 | Sassoon, VidalVidal Sassoon | The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky | A dozen bottles of Vidal Sassoon hair shampoo | more |
16 October 2011 | Johnson, MichaelMichael Johnson | The biggest possible encyclopaedia | McLaren SLR sports car with petrol | |
23 October 2011 | Gatiss, MarkMark Gatiss | The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | A Victorian bath and hot water | |
30 October 2011 | Adebowale, VictorVictor Adebowale | The Complete Works of Wole Soyinka | His saxophone | more |
6 November 2011 | Simon, FrancescaFrancesca Simon | The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope | A cappucino maker | more |
18 November 2011 | Scher, AnnaAnna Scher | Poem of the Day | A bespoke statue of Archbishop Desmond Tutu | more |
20 November 2011 | Hardy, RobertRobert Hardy | The Great Warbow by Robert Hardy and Matthew Strickland | Young Girl in Profile, 1495 - De Predis | more |
27 November 2011 | Grylls, BearBear Grylls | Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe | A laminated photo of his family | more |
4 December 2011 | Sorrell, Sir MartinSir Martin Sorrell | The Talmud | Cricket bat, ball and stumps | more |
11 December 2011 | Pollard, EveEve Pollard | Maritime Intelligence and Publications | Tweezers | more |
18 December 2011 | Stafford, Baron Fellowes of WestBaron Fellowes of West Stafford | The complete works of Anthony Trollope | Two enormous casks of Chateau Margaux | |
30 December 2011 | Cox, Professor BrianProfessor Brian Cox | Classic Electrodynamics by John David Jackson | A coffee machine | more |
2012
Date | Castaway | Book | Luxury | More info |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 January 2012 | Wogan, Sir TerrySir Terry Wogan | War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | Bottles, pens and paper | more |
8 January 2012 | Mason, Dame MonicaDame Monica Mason | A special compilation of all of David Attenborough's books | A torch | more |
15 January 2012 | Johnson, PaulPaul Johnson | A big atlas | Watercolour paints and paper | more |
22 January 2012 | Seth, VikramVikram Seth | An anthology of poems to include ones by Chinese poet Du Fu | Calligraphy materials | |
29 January 2012 | Attenborough, Sir DavidSir David Attenborough | Shifts and Expidents of Camp Life by W B Lord | A piano | |
5 February 2012 | Lewis, DeniseDenise Lewis | Oprah: An Autobiography by Oprah Winfrey | Sex and the City DVD boxset | |
12 February 2012 | Corden, JamesJames Corden | A guide to learning the piano | A piano | more |
19 February 2012 | Prescott, JohnJohn Prescott | Smile Though Your Heart Is Breaking by Pauline Prescott | A Bontempi keyboard | |
26 February 2012 | Moore, BrianBrian Moore | Germinal by Émile Zola | A football | |
4 March 2012 | Rodenburg, PatsyPatsy Rodenburg | A large anthology of poetry | An endless supply of tea | more |
11 March 2012 | Mason, JackieJackie Mason | The Complete Works of Sholem Aleichem | An easy chair | more |
18 March 2012 | Ford, AnnaAnna Ford | Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times | Endless supply of leaf tea, teapot, mug and semi-skimmed milk | more |
25 March 2012 | Cullum, JamieJamie Cullum | On the Road by Jack Kerouac | A huge stack of white paper and pencils | more |
6 May 2012 | Minchin, TimTim Minchin | Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut | Robotic sex doll | more |
13 May 2012 | Hollins, BaronessBaroness Hollins | 100 Masterpieces of Art | Her clarinet | more |
20 May 2012 | Ackroyd, PeterPeter Ackroyd | The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis | Pen and paper | more |
27 May 2012 | Robertson, DeniseDenise Robertson | A book on practical survival | An endless supply of pens and paper | more |
3 June 2012 | Rhodes, MargaretMargaret Rhodes | Reader's Digest - The Most Amazing Gardens in Britain and Ireland | Her favourite blue jersey | more |
10 June 2012 | Lawrence, DoreenDoreen Lawrence | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou | An artist's workshop | |
17 June 2012 | Soueif, AhdafAhdaf Soueif | Keepers of the Flame by Ian Hamilton | Paper and coloured pens | more |
24 June 2012 | Bishop, JohnJohn Bishop | Family photo album | Lifetime's supply of toothbrushes and toothpaste | more |
1 July 2012 | Jencks, CharlesCharles Jencks | The Act of Creation by Arthur Koestler | 3D printer | more |
8 July 2012 | Navratilova, MartinaMartina Navratilova | The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand | A pillow her mother made for her | |
15 July 2012 | McBurney, SimonSimon McBurney | And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief as Photos by John Berger | A pillow with the smell of his family | more |
22 July 2012 | Khan, AkramAkram Khan | The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy | A skipping rope | more |
29 July 2012 | Berry, MaryMary Berry | RHS A-Z Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants | Cashmere rug | more |
5 August 2012 | Campbell of Surbiton, BaronessBaroness Campbell of Surbiton | A very large atlas | A customised wheelchair | more |
12 August 2012 | Brown, CraigCraig Brown | The 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica | Conjouring set | more |
23 September 2012 | Hawn, GoldieGoldie Hawn | The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm | Lip gloss | more |
30 September 2012 | Adepitan, AdeAde Adepitan | Chronicles of the Lensmen by E. E. Smith | Basketball court with hoop and ball | more |
7 October 2012 | Birtwell, CeliaCelia Birtwell | Tropical Flowering Plants by Kirsten Albrecht Llamas | A luxurious bed | more |
14 October 2012 | Stewart, NoahNoah Stewart | The Joy of Cooking | A spa with whirlpool | more |
21 October 2012 | Siddiqui, MonaMona Siddiqui | A top ten short story collection featuring Mansfield, Maugham, Chekhov and Hemingway | Tea, milk and sugar | more |
28 October 2012 | Devey, HilaryHilary Devey | Never Look Back | An endless supply of Cointreau with ice in a crystal glass | more |
4 November 2012 | Thiam, TidjaneTidjane Thiam | The Brothers Karamazov by Fydor Dostoyevsky | Solar-powered ice cream maker | more |
16 November 2012 | Marvin, BlancheBlanche Marvin | The Golden Bough by James Frazer | Paper, pens and pencils | more |
18 November 2012 | Lloyd, JohnJohn Lloyd | The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts | A whirligig festooned with flower seeds | more |
25 November 2012 | de Waal, EdmundEdmund de Waal | The collected poems of Wallace Stevens | An espresso machine | more |
2 December 2012 | Hoffman, DustinDustin Hoffman | The complete works of Charles Dickens | An endless bar | more |
9 December 2012 | Pickles, EricEric Pickles | If This Be a Man by Primo Levi | Kettle, tea service and container of Earl Grey tea | more |
16 December 2012 | Beckett, Sister WendySister Wendy Beckett | An enormous book of logical puzzles | Refrigerated tabernacle | |
23 December 2012 | French, DawnDawn French | Puckoon by Spike Milligan | Her daughter's teddy bear | |
30 December 2012 | Hindmarch, AnyaAnya Hindmarch | Grimm's fairy tales | Yellow rotating pencil and a book of unlined paper |
2013
Date | Castaway | Book | Luxury | More info |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 January 2013 | Stringer, Sir HowardSir Howard Stringer | The short stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald | An easy chair | more |
13 January 2013 | Carthy, MartinMartin Carthy | The collected works of Charles Dickens | His guitar | more |
20 January 2013 | Vertue, BerylBeryl Vertue | A book of family photographs | Acoustic guitar and a book of instructions | more |
27 January 2013 | Suu Kyi, Aung SanAung San Suu Kyi | Abhidharma | A never-ending supply of different coloured roses | more |
3 February 2013 | Leahy, Sir TerrySir Terry Leahy | The complete works of Charles Dickens | Tea | more |
10 February 2013 | Burchill, JulieJulie Burchill | This Is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco by Garry Mulholland | Alcohol still | more |
17 February 2013 | Agnew, JonathanJonathan Agnew | City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre | Lawnmower with an endless supply of fuel | more |
24 February 2013 | Frith, UtaUta Frith | Book of hours from Sir John Soane's museum | Her doll's house | more |
3 March 2013 | Rankin | Tuulitastic by Rankin | Pluto and Persephone by Berini | more |
10 March 2013 | Almond, DavidDavid Almond | Arabian Nights | Japanese notebooks and pens | more |
17 March 2013 | Goodyear, JulieJulie Goodyear | Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach | Her mother's bus pass | more |
24 March 2013 | Sanghera, JasvinderJasvinder Sanghera | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou | Her father's milk churn | more |
31 March 2013 | Kentridge, Sir SydneySir Sydney Kentridge | The Jeeves Omnibus by P G Wodehouse | An endless supply of coffee and a machine to make it with | more |
12 May 2013 | Hirst, DamienDamien Hirst | The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors Even, Again | A work of art by Roger Hiorns called "Untitled 2009" | more |
19 May 2013 | Walker, AliceAlice Walker | Human Race Get Off Your Knees: The Lion Sleeps No More by David Icke | Solar powered vitamix | more |
26 May 2013 | Bull, DeborahDeborah Bull | The Encyclopedia of the Human Brain | Will Tuckett's Pleasure's Progress | more |
2 June 2013 | King, Sir MervynSir Mervyn King | Complete illustrated catalogue of the National Gallery | Telescope | more |
9 June 2013 | Anker, ConradConrad Anker | The complete works of Jack London | Rope and rack | more |
16 June 2013 | Alexandra Shulman | Penguin Book Of Love Poetry by Jon Stallworthy | An endless supply of Miss Dior Eau du Toilette | more |
23 June 2013 | Laurie, HughHugh Laurie | An encyclopaedia | A double set of throwing knives | more |
30 June 2013 | Pinker, StevenSteven Pinker | Oxford English Dictionary | Carbon fibre bicycle | more |
7 July 2013 | Somerville, JaneJane Somerville | The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy | Hot bath every day with Rose Geranium bath essence by Floris | more |
14 July 2013 | McDermid, ValVal McDermid | The Complete Works of Robert Louis Stevenson | Solar-powered laptop used solely for playing games | more |
21 July 2013 | Brand, RussellRussell Brand | The Bhagavad Gita | Stuffed effigy of Noel Gallagher | more |
28 July 2013 | Robinson, MaryMary Robinson | The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing | Solar cooker and fridge | more |
4 August 2013 | Stewart, EveEve Stewart | The Complete Works of Charles Dickens | A lifetime supply of self-firing clay | more |
11 August 2013 | Kahneman, DanielDaniel Kahneman | Thesaurus | Reclining chair | |
22 September 2013 | Smith, ZadieZadie Smith | A la recherché du temps perdu by Marcel Proust | Goggles | |
29 September 2013 | Mack, LeeLee Mack | A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking | Coffee machine, coffee, fridge, milk and teaspoon | |
6 October 2013 | McCall, CarolynCarolyn McCall | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | Solar-powered iPad with all her photos | |
13 October 2013 | Packham, ChrisChris Packham | The complete works of F. Scott Fitzgerald | Binoculars | |
20 October 2013 | Jeremy Hutchinson | The complete works of Thomas Hardy | The Tempest by Giorgione | |
27 October 2013 | Professor Tanya Byron | Emma by Jane Austen | A large piano | |
3 November 2013 | Sir Ken Robinson | India's Summer by Therese | A large quad bike with a solar panel | |
15 November 2013 | Brendel, AlfredAlfred Brendel | Aphorisms by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg | Romanesque chapel adjacent to Montmajour Abbey in Provence | |
17 November 2013 | Blackman, MalorieMalorie Blackman | Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte | Bicycle | more |
24 November 2013 | Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams | Weekly delivery of a Chicken Tikka takeaway | more |
1 December 2013 | Balding, ClareClare Balding | Encyclopedia of nature | Thermos mug with tea, milk and sugar | |
8 December 2013 | Hulanicki, BarbaraBarbara Hulanicki | Roget's Thesaurus | Sketch book | more |
15 December 2013 | Clarke, GillianGillian Clarke | Anthology of poetry | Brynmawr writing desk | more |
22 December 2013 | Hart, MirandaMiranda Hart | The Complete Works of Margaret Luce | Wimbledon Centre court, racquet, balls and a ball machine | more |
29 December 2013 | Ant and Dec | The Collected Works of William Boyd (for Ant) and High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (for Dec) | A blow up chair (for Ant) and tweezers (for Dec) |
2014
Date | Castaway | Book | Luxury | More info |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 January 2014 | Mears, RayRay Mears | A blank book to record his Desert Island findings | A huge pair of speakers | more |
12 January 2014 | Benedetti, NicolaNicola Benedetti | Long Walk to Freedom - her personal copy by Nelson Mandela | Violin in its case with some pieces of sheet music | |
19 January 2014 | Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin | The Complete Works of Maya Angelou | Large collection of earrings | |
26 January 2014 | Ainslie, Sir BenSir Ben Ainslie | Great Expectations by Charles Dickens | A flight simulator | |
2 February 2014 | Harris, BobBob Harris | A fictional book about cricket statistics | A greenhouse | |
9 February 2014 | Angiolini, Dame ElishDame Elish Angiolini | Oxford Anthology of Poetry | A photograph of all the people she loves | |
16 February 2014 | Torvill and Christopher Dean, JayneJayne Torvill and Christopher Dean | Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (for Torvill) and Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Theodor Seuss (for Dean) | Jo Malone moisturizer (for Torvill) and endless supply of coffee and digestive biscuits (for Dean) | |
23 February 2014 | Montgomery, Professor HughProfessor Hugh Montgomery | SAS Survival Handbook of Survival by John Wiseman | A spear fishing kit | more |
2 March 2014 | Hedderwick, MairiMairi Hedderwick | A book containing all the Ordnance Survey maps of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland | A wonderful bath that comes down from the skies | more |
9 March 2014 | Herstmonceux, Lord Richards ofLord Richards of Herstmonceux | The complete works of Patrick O'Brian | Sailcloth | |
16 March 2014 | Walker, MurrayMurray Walker | How to Survive Anything, Anywhere: A Handbook of Survival Skills for Every Scenario and Environment by Chris McNab | A hammock and pillow | more |
23 March 2014 | Bertschinger, Dame ClaireDame Claire Bertschinger | A book of monologues | A Swiss Army knife | more |
30 March 2014 | Geim, Sir AndreSir Andre Geim | None | Amarone | more |
11 May 2014 | Dee, JackJack Dee | A big comprehensive encyclopedia | Acoustic guitar | |
18 May 2014 | Moyet, AlisonAlison Moyet | His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman | A bath | |
25 May 2014 | Redzepi, RenéRené Redzepi | Complete set of Mad magazine | One full day of snow | |
1 June 2014 | Baxter, BiddyBiddy Baxter | The Traveller's Tree by Patrick Leigh Fermor | Toast and dripping | |
8 June 2014 | Rojo, TamaraTamara Rojo | Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez | Bed | more |
15 June 2014 | Shehadeh, RajaRaja Shehadeh | Arabian Nights | A packet of seeds | more |
22 June 2014 | Murray, JudyJudy Murray | The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown | Moisturiser cream | |
29 June 2014 | Allen, LilyLily Allen | Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis | Husband's shirt with daughter's bunny sewn on to it | |
6 July 2014 | Marmot, Sir MichaelSir Michael Marmot | Oxford English Dictionary (all 13 volumes and supplements) | Viola | |
13 July 2014 | Reid, AnneAnne Reid | The Complete Works of George and Ira Gershwin | A piano | more |
20 July 2014 | Allan, DougDoug Allan | 1 Volume of Encyclopedia Britannica | Guitar | more |
27 July 2014 | Wendy Hall, DameDame Wendy Hall | Complete printed out pages of Wikipedia | Spa and favourite spa products | |
3 August 2014 | Garvey, GuyGuy Garvey | The collected works of J D Salinger | Bushmill Irish whiskey and ice | |
10 August 2014 | Gladwell, MalcolmMalcolm Gladwell | Selected works of Geoffrey Trease | Golf clubs and balls | |
21 September 2014 | McQueen, SteveSteve McQueen | The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin | Compass | |
28 September 2014 | Alsop, MarinMarin Alsop | Collected Works of Carl Jung | Pottery studio | |
5 October 2014 | Wainwright, SallySally Wainwright | Female Fortune: Land, Gender and Authority by Jill Liddington | A small art shop full of goodies | more |
12 October 2014 | Roy Strong, SirSir Roy Strong | The Oxford Companion to the Garden by Patrick Taylor | His custom-built tricycle | |
19 October 2014 | Wiseman, DebbieDebbie Wiseman | The Penguin of English Verse | Grand piano, music manuscript paper and pencil | more |
26 October 2014 | Graef, RogerRoger Graef | Lost and Found in Russia by Susan Richards | A piano with six books of Bartok’s Mikrokosmos | more |
2 November 2014 | Dagworthy, WendyWendy Dagworthy | Raj Quartet by Paul Scott | A case of red lipstick and a fridge to keep it cool | more |
14 November 2014 | Brown, Captain Eric 'Winkle'Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown | The Moonlandings by Reginald Turnill | His 12 flight log books | |
16 November 2014 | Agard, JohnJohn Agard | The book of hours | A roll up of organic tobacco | |
23 November 2014 | MP, Rt Hon Theresa MayRt Hon Theresa May MP | Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | A lifetime subscription to Vogue | |
30 November 2014 | Lewis, DamianDamian Lewis | History of the World by J M Roberts | Whittling kit | |
7 December 2014 | Bentley, JulieJulie Bentley | If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor | Her photo albums | |
14 December 2014 | Millican, SarahSarah Millican | A survival book | Notebooks and pens | more |
21 December 2014 | Welby, The Most Reverend JustinThe Most Reverend Justin Welby | The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon | The complete series of The West Wing on DVD | more |
28 December 2014 | Winstone, RayRay Winstone | The Searchers by Alan Le May | A fishing rod | more |
2015
Date | Castaway | Book | Luxury | More info |
---|---|---|---|---|
4 January 2015 | Rothwell, Professor Dame NancyProfessor Dame Nancy Rothwell | A Teach Yourself Swedish book | Sketchbooks and pencils | more |
11 January 2015 | Malone, JoJo Malone | The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C Morais | Chanel lip gloss | |
18 January 2015 | Cleverdon, Dame JuliaDame Julia Cleverdon | The Penguin Complete Novels of Nancy Mitford | A 2,000 piece jigsaw of Venice | |
25 January 2015 | Piot, Professor PeterProfessor Peter Piot | The Complete works of Hugo Claus | An old English rose | more |
1 February 2015 | Hobbs, Professor AngieProfessor Angie Hobbs | The collected works of W B Yeats | A harp with teach yourself books and plenty of strings | more |
8 February 2015 | Pearson, DanDan Pearson | An encyclopedia of the local plants | The contents of his potting shed | more |
15 February 2015 | Rylance, MarkMark Rylance | The Big Red Book: The Great Masterpiece Celebrating Mystical Love and Friendship by Rumi | A stand up bass | more |
22 February 2015 | Kaufmann, JonasJonas Kaufmann | Das Königsprojekt by Carl Amery | A coffee machine | more |
1 March 2015 | Julia Samuel | Other Men's Flowers: An Anthology of Poetry edited by A P Wavell | A notebook and a pen her mother gave her | more |
8 March 2015 | Stevenson, BryanBryan Stevenson | The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky | A piano | more |
15 March 2015 | Millar, RobinRobin Millar | West with the Night by Beryl Markham | The pyramid stage at Glastonbury, complete with the sound system, lights and a guitar | |
22 March 2015 | Albeck, PatPat Albeck | Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy | A desk with two drawers full of art materials | |
29 March 2015 | Hollywood, PaulPaul Hollywood | First Light by Geoffrey Wellum | Two pillows | more |
10 May 2015 | Wiggins, Sir BradleySir Bradley Wiggins | Slaying the Dragon: How to Turn Your Small Steps to Great Feats by Michael Johnson | Family photo album | more |
17 May 2015 | Helen Browning | Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela | A David Lomax sculpture of Gaia carrying an ostrich egg behind her back | more |
24 May 2015 | Wales, JimmyJimmy Wales | The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand | A cellar full of Cabernet wine and a glass | more |
31 May 2015 | Rose, PamelaPamela Rose | Collected Poems of T.S. Eliot | A very comfortable four-poster bed with a mackintosh roof | more |
7 June 2015 | Jardine, LisaLisa Jardine | The full 12 volumes of P.S Allen's Latin Letters of Erasmus of Rotterdam | Cooking utensils | |
14 June 2015 | Adlington, RebeccaRebecca Adlington | The Famous Five Collection by Enid Blyton | A pillow | more |
21 June 2015 | Fry, StephenStephen Fry | Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot | Canvasses, easels, brushes and an instruction manual | more |
28 June 2015 | Rabinowitz, HarryHarry Rabinowitz | The Red and the Black by Stendhal | A pitch pipe | |
5 July 2015 | Flintoff, FreddieFreddie Flintoff | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | A family photo album | more |
12 July 2015 | Dharker, ImtiazImtiaz Dharker | An atlas of the whole world | The Victoria and Albert Museum in London | more |
19 July 2015 | Gallagher, NoelNoel Gallagher | On the Road by Jack Kerouac | Guitar and plectrum | more |
26 July 2015 | Grady, Professor MonicaProfessor Monica Grady | Ulysses by James Joyce | Flute | |
2 August 2015 | Rogers, RuthRuth Rogers | The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers | A bottle of extra virgin olive oil pressed at either Felsina or Fontodi vineyards | |
9 August 2015 | Frankland, Dr BillDr Bill Frankland | The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe | Binoculars | |
20 September 2015 | Dench, Dame JudiDame Judi Dench | Other Men's Flowers by A P Wavell (audio book read by her daughter Finty Williams) | Cut-outs of all her friends and family | more |
27 September 2015 | Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran | The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh (for Gran) and his own diaries (for Marks) | A really big drum kit (for Gran) and a collection of Château d'Yquem of his choice from 1900-2001, a fridge and Sauternes glasses (for Marks) | more |
4 October 2015 | Balsom, AlisonAlison Balsom | The Complete Scores of Bach | Trumpet | more |
11 October 2015 | Sissay, LemnLemn Sissay | The Koran | Pen and paper | more |
18 October 2015 | Black, Professor SueProfessor Sue Black | Gray's Anatomy, 36th Edition | A big hat | more |
25 October 2015 | Richards, KeithKeith Richards | Dr Dogbody's Leg by James Norman Hall | Machete | more |
1 November 2015 | Wallace, MarjorieMarjorie Wallace | Lives of the Poets: 1,000 Years of English & American Poetry by Louise Untermeyer | Cocktail cabinet | more |
13 November 2015 | Singh, Lord IndarjitLord Indarjit Singh | The Bible | Paper and pens for drawing | more |
15 November 2015 | Sturgeon, Rt Hon NicolaRt Hon Nicola Sturgeon | The Complete Works of Jane Austen | A coffee machine | more |
22 November 2015 | Chadha, GurinderGurinder Chadha | Heer Ranjha translation by Professor Christopher Shackle | Home movies of her children | more |
29 November 2015 | Toksvig, SandiSandi Toksvig | The Ashley Book of Knots | An endless supply of the Daily Mail | more |
6 December 2015 | Gawande, AtulAtul Gawande | The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy | Pen and journal | more |
13 December 2015 | Minogue, KylieKylie Minogue | The Outdoor Survival Handbook by Ray Mears | Family photo album | more |
20 December 2015 | Hadfield, Commander ChrisCommander Chris Hadfield | Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers | Acoustic guitar | more |
27 December 2015 | Greene, PatriciaPatricia Greene | Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett | A sack of bird food | more |
2016
Date | Castaway | Book | Luxury | More info |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 January 2016 | Toibin, ColmColm Toibin | The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James | Pen and paper | more |
10 January 2016 | Crawford, AlexAlex Crawford | To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee | Scuba Diving equipment | more |
17 January 2016 | Seldon, Sir AnthonySir Anthony Seldon | A Collection of Joanna Seldon’s short stories and poetry | A yoga and prayer mat | more |
24 January 2016 | Rausing, SigridSigrid Rausing | Mansfield Park by Jane Austen | The British Library | more |
31 January 2016 | Gates, BillBill Gates | The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker | DVD Collection of Lectures from The Learning Company | more |
7 February 2016 | Black, Professor Dame CarolProfessor Dame Carol Black | The Assassin's Cloak by Irene and Alan Taylor | Chanel No. 19 | more |
14 February 2016 | Saunders, BenBen Saunders | The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard | Pen and paper | more |
21 February 2016 | Hadid, Dame ZahaDame Zaha Hadid | Delirious New York by Rem Koolhaas | Family photograph album | more |
28 February 2016 | Bonneville, HughHugh Bonneville | A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens | Lego with instruction booklets | more |
6 March 2016 | Ion, Dame Dr SueDame Dr Sue Ion | A box set of Wainwright Walks in the Lake District | A guitar and a set of music | |
13 March 2016 | Shonibare, YinkaYinka Shonibare | Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift | Pen and paper | more |
20 March 2016 | Steinem, GloriaGloria Steinem | The Color Purple by Alice Walker | Eye drops | more |
27 March 2016 | Timpson, JohnJohn Timpson | The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy | Paper and pen | more |
8 May 2016 | Hanks, TomTom Hanks | A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester | A Hermes 3000 manual typewriter and paper | more |
15 May 2016 | Beale, IngaInga Beale | The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper | Daily supply of warm, sweet, milky tea | more |
22 May 2016 | Gordy, BerryBerry Gordy | The Collected Works of Rudyard Kipling | A cellar of his favourite wine | more |
29 May 2016 | Richardson, Professor LouiseProfessor Louise Richardson | The Collected Poems of Seamus Heaney | A champagne fountain | more |
5 June 2016 | Nott, DavidDavid Nott | Kallimni 'Arabi Mazboot by Saimia Louis (a course in spoken Arabic) | Fishing rod | more |
12 June 2016 | Davis, WarwickWarwick Davis | The Guinness Book of Records | Pen and paper | more |
19 June 2016 | Rutter, BarrieBarrie Rutter | Selected Poems of Tony Harrison | A pair of swimming flippers | more |
26 June 2016 | Khan, SaraSara Khan | The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists by Khaled M. Abou El Fadl | Yorkshire Tea | more |
3 July 2016 | Barzun, MatthewMatthew Barzun | From Dawn to Decadence by Jacques Barzun | A kite surfing kit | more |
10 July 2016 | Farhi, NicoleNicole Farhi | À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust | None | more |
17 July 2016 | Roots, LeviLevi Roots | Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela | A guitar | more |
24 July 2016 | Dowling, Professor Dame AnnProfessor Dame Ann Dowling | The collected papers of Sir James Lighthill | An artist's studio | |
31 July 2016 | Cooper, JillyJilly Cooper | Oxford Dictionary of Quotations | A sack of nuts | more |
7 August 2016 | Heath, MichaelMichael Heath | Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith | Artist's painting set | |
14 August 2016 | Hussain, NadiyaNadiya Hussain | Me Before You by Jojo Moyes | Marmite | |
25 September 2016 | DiDonato, JoyceJoyce DiDonato | The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay | Lavender scented oil | more |
2 October 2016 | Amanpour, ChristineChristine Amanpour | The Complete Works of Eugene O'Neill | A guitar previously owned by Bruce Springsteen | more |
9 October 2016 | Hough, StephenStephen Hough | A bilingual edition of Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu | A panama hat from Optimo in Chicago | |
16 October 2016 | Langer, Dr RobertDr Robert Langer | The Iliad by Homer | A photo album of his family | more |
23 October 2016 | Kay, JackieJackie Kay | The Complete Works of Robert Burns | Self-filling hipflask of Islay malt whisky | more |
30 October 2016 | Buble, MichaelMichael Buble | The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle | A Rolex watch | |
6 November 2016 | Smith, AliAli Smith | Metamorphoses by Ovid | Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara | more |
18 November 2016 | Ottolenghi, YotamYotam Ottolenghi | A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth | A lemon tree | more |
20 November 2016 | Adams, NicolaNicola Adams | A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson | A games console | more |
27 November 2016 | Bridgewater, EmmaEmma Bridgewater | The Complete Works of Patrick O'Brian | Stephanotis bath oil with a bath | more |
4 December 2016 | Craven, Sir PhilipSir Philip Craven | Guide des vins: Bettane and Desseauve | Test Match Special archive | more |
Notes
External links
- Desert Island Discs at BBC Radio 4