List of Desert Island Discs episodes (2001–2010)

Last updated

Each BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs invites a castaway 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 between 2001 and 2010 are listed here.

Contents

Very rarely programmes will be repeated in place of new shows as a tribute to former guests who have recently died – for example Radio 4 repeated Humphrey Lyttelton's show, originally aired on 5 November 2006, on 15 June 2008. Desert Island Discs takes two short breaks, in spring and summer. BBC Radio 4 broadcasts new programmes for approximately 42 weeks each year on Sunday mornings, usually with a repeat transmission five 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.

2001

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
7 January 2001 Marquess of Bath Combined dictionary and thesaurus Laptop computer more
14 January 2001 George MacDonald Fraser Oxford English Dictionary Typewriter more
21 January 2001 Marguerite Patten Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Trowel for digging more
28 January 2001 Terry O'Neill Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Wind-up radio more
4 February 2001 Sir John Mortimer Oxford Book of English Verse Velázquez painting of old lady frying eggs more
11 February 2001 Griff Rhys Jones The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens Newspaper more
18 February 2001 Professor Sir Richard Doll Oxford Textbook of Medicine by D. A. WarrellA down pillow more
25 February 2001 Charlie Watts Collected Poems 1934-52 of Dylan Thomas Drumsticks more
4 March 2001 John Lill Huge Tome on fauna and flora Solar-powered piano more
11 March 2001 Henry Sandon A Shropshire Lad by A. E. Housman Huge supply of Indian tea with Worcester tea pot more
18 March 2001Professor Peter Vanezis-- more
25 March 2001 Shirley Hughes Embarrassment of Riches by Simon Schama A painting by Titian, Bacchus & Ariadne more
1 April 2001 Sir Alec Broers War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Lots and lots of chocolate more
8 April 2001 Tanni Grey Thompson A guide to edible foods on a desert islandFive juggling balls more
15 April 2001 Ronald Blythe Life of Johnson by James Boswell Lots of paper with pens more
22 April 2001 Chris Tarrant The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris His lucky sixpence more
29 April 2001 Tasmin Little Harry Potter book by J. K. Rowling or Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens Endless supply of coffee more
6 May 2001 Margaret Drabble The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett Painting by Maurice Cockerill - Ariadne's Thread more
13 May 2001 Sir John Sulston Oxford Anthology of English VerseThe microscope used to examine the lineage of the roundworm more
20 May 2001 Sir Timothy Clifford A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Renaissance casket with a selection of 15th & 16th century Italian drawings in it more
27 May 2001 Courtney Pine Beneath the Underdog by Charles Mingus 1939 tenor edition saxophone more
3 June 2001 Sir Thomas Allen Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy Unlimited supply of paper, paints and pencils more
10 June 2001 Sir Kyffin Williams Germinal by Émile Zola A small painting called "The Head of a Girl" by Michael Schwertz more
17 June 2001 Frank McCourt Oxford Anthology of English VersePair of binoculars more
24 June 2001 Sir Harry Kroto Quantum Electro Dynamics Physics by Feynman Airbrush computer graphics set more
1 July 2001 Sir Stanley Kalms The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith Pack of cards more
8 July 2001 Peggy Seeger A Scots Quair by Lewis Grassic Gibbon Banjo with plastic head and an inexhaustible supply of strings and pegs more
15 July 2001 Martin Bell Corduroy (his father's first book) by Adrian Bell Barrel of Adnam's Ale brewed in Suffolk more
22 July 2001 Cormac Murphy O'Connor Lifelines by Seamus Heaney Grand piano more
29 July 2001 Claudia Roden A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Oil paints and brushes more
5 August 2001 Lord Deedes Original prayer book without any amendmentsMister Trumper's aftershave more
12 August 2001 Joss Ackland The Diary of Samuel Pepys Huge jar of liquorice more
19 August 2001 Bruce Fogle A book on canoe craft Molecular engineering laboratory - to construct a dog more
26 August 2001 Lord Roll Faust by Johann Wolfgang Goethe Cassette recorder and cassettes more
2 September 2001 Simon Schama The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa Bethsheba by Rembrandt more
18 November 2001 Billy Connolly Oxford English Dictionary His banjo more
25 November 2001 Ken Follett Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein Entire cellar of a great collector of French wine more
2 December 2001 William Hague The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro Dojo more
9 December 2001 Sir Cameron Mackintosh Complete Cookery Course by Delia Smith Solar-powered Magimix more
16 December 2001 Anne Fine Collected Poems of Philip Larkin Pencil and paper more
23 December 2001 Jamie Oliver Doesn't read books - needs notepaper and pens to write recipes Leatherman - like a Swiss Army Knife but more substantial more
30 December 2001 Ewan McGregor In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust Chromatic harmonica more

2002

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
6 January 2002 Sir Peter Morris The Aubrey-Maturin series 20 (complete hardback set) by Patrick O'Brian Golf clubs and balls more
13 January 2002 Susana Walton The Education of a Gardner by Russell Page Downy Pillow more
20 January 2002 Bob Worcester Globes at Greenwich by Elly Dekker Celestial and terrestrial globes more
27 January 2002 Phyllis Sellick The Oxford Companion to Music Clockwork radio tuned to Radio 4 more
3 February 2002 David Linley The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher Guitar more
10 February 2002 Sir Paul Nurse The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski Telescope more
17 February 2002 Kazuo Ishiguro Collected short stories of Anton Chekhov Big roll of paper more
24 February 2002 Sue MacGregor History of the World by John Roberts Unlimited supply of nicely-scented sun block more
3 March 2002 Lord May of Oxford Capablanca's Hundred Best Games of Chess by Hans Golombek Isle of Lewis chess set from The British Museum more
10 March 2002 Dame Beryl Grey This Sceptred Isle by Christopher Lee Box of watercolour paints more
17 March 2002 Fay Godwin The Rattle Bag by Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney Egg tempera paints, brushes, and boards to paint on more
24 March 2002 Dorothy Rowe The Oxford Companion to the Body edited by Colin Blakemore A snorkeling suit with prescription goggles more
31 March 2002 Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain A fresh vanilla pod more
7 April 2002 Fiona Reynolds The Making of the English Landscape by W. G. Hoskins The full collection of Ordnance Survey maps of the British Isles more
14 April 2002 Sir Christopher Bland The collected works of John Donne Two and half miles of a Hampshire chalk stream more
21 April 2002 Wayne Marshall The Grove Dictionary of Music A Steinway Model D piano, specially conditioned to deal with all weathers more
28 April 2002 Betty Jackson Vision: 50 Years of Creativity Lipstick more
5 May 2002 Jude Kelly -A notebook and pencil more
12 May 2002 Sir Aaron Klug A set of books on Roman Republican and Imperial CoinageA set of mixed Greek and Imperial coinage more
19 May 2002 Suggs A concise book of Italian verbsA nucleus of bees more
26 May 2002 Sue Johnston Dickens by Peter Ackroyd BBC Radio Five Live more
9 June 2002 Leonard Rosoman A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce A sloping lawn more
16 June 2002 Jan Morris The Mabinogi in modern Welsh A hot water bottle more
23 June 2002 Lady Longford Diplomacy and Murder in Tehran: Alexander Griboyedov and the Tsar's Mission to the Shah of Persia by Laurence Kelly An orange tree more
30 June 2002 Minette Walters The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Van Gogh's Irises more
7 July 2002 Alan Titchmarsh One of P. G. Wodehouse's Blandings novelsA box of watercolours more
15 September 2002 Brian May Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis His own guitar: the Red Special more
22 September 2002 Timothy Spall The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens A drum kit more
29 September 2002 Dame Alicia Markova Speaking of Diaghilev by John Drummond The perfume Knowing by Estée Lauder more
6 October 2002 Philip Pullman A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust A Jar of Apricots by Chardin

more

13 October 2002 Paul Gambaccini The Complete Carl Barks Library by Carl Barks Piano more
20 October 2002 Carl Djerassi The collected poetry and prose of Wallace Stevens A solar powered computer with a secret compartment containing a white powder more
27 October 2002 P. D. James War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Pencils and paper more
3 November 2002 Rt Hon Robin Cook MP The National Hunt form bookA chess computer more
15 November 2002 Marguerite Wolff Alan Walker's biography of Liszt A piano more
17 November 2002 Christopher Ondaatje Robert Service's Anthology of PoetryA painting: The Blue Nude by Justin Deranyagala more
24 November 2002 Iain Duncan Smith The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell Oil paints more
1 December 2002 John Malkovich The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner A cappuccino maker more
8 December 2002 Linton Kwesi Johnson One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez A bass guitar more
15 December 2002 Sinéad Cusack The plays of Anton Chekhov A big hat with a lot of muslin more
22 December 2002 Rowan Williams A collection of W. H. Auden poemsA piano more
29 December 2002 Patricia Cornwell Essay on population by Thomas Malthus An endless supply of notebooks and pens more

2003

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
5 January 2003 George Foreman An anthology of poems including the poem Waiting by John Burroughs A pillow more
12 January 2003 Gillian Anderson The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Recordings of her daughter and "her love" reading self-written stories and poetry more
19 January 2003 Professor Baruch Blumberg Ulysses by James Joyce A flat water kayak suitable for rough water more
26 January 2003 Sir Trevor Nunn The Complete Works of Charles Dickens A photo of his wife and all of his children more
2 February 2003 Paul Whitehouse A chord book full of songs and ariasA piano more
9 February 2003 Sir Ian McKellen A dictionary of flora and faunaA grand piano more
16 February 2003 Cornelia Parker World of Wonder: 10,000 things every child should knowA solar powered vibrator more
23 February 2003 George Clooney War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy An anchored yacht more
2 March 2003 Gene Pitney The Giant Book of Mensa Puzzles by Robert Allen A case of Opus One wine more
9 March 2003 Vic Reeves Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome Potato seeds more
16 March 2003 Nick Danziger One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Pencils, paper and watercolours more
23 March 2003 Claude-Michel Schönberg All the Little Live things by Wallace Earle Stegner A grand piano more
30 March 2003 Kristin Scott Thomas Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen A pair of mules by Christian Louboutin more
6 April 2003 David Gilmour The Qur'an Acoustic guitar more
13 April 2003 Margaret Atwood The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One NightsA big huge vat of Culpepers Rose Geranium bath salts more
20 April 2003 Rory Bremner The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon A radio more
4 May 2003 Professor A. H. Halsey Utopia by Thomas More A solar powered radio more
11 May 2003 George Fenton Short stories by Chekhov A piano or failing that for comfort a tin of condensed milk and an opener more
18 May 2003 Franco Zeffirelli Dante's Inferno A hammock from Hermès more
25 May 2003 Derek Brown The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens A steamer chair more
1 June 2003 Meera Syal A Hindi/English dictionaryA piano more
8 June 2003 Vittorio Radice La première gorgée de Bière et autres plaisirs minuscules by Philippe Delerm Sunglasses more
15 June 2003 Mark Tully The major works by Gerard Manley Hopkins A modern mini brewery more
22 June 2003 Bishop John Sentamu The Complete Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis A kitchen more
29 June 2003 Daniel Libeskind The Prisons (Le Carceri: The Complete First and Second States) by Giovanni Battista Piranesi Pencil and paper more
6 July 2003 Barbara Taylor Bradford David Copperfield by Charles Dickens A bag of eye makeup, especially mascara more
21 September 2003 Bryn Terfel Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt The Wales Millennium Centre more
28 September 2003 Nick Hornby Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens An iPod more
5 October 2003 Nigella Lawson The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Liquid Temazepam "to give me the possibility of a very pleasant exit" more
12 October 2003 Herbert Kretzmer The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell A Zippo lighter more
19 October 2003 Bill Cullen Glimpses by Brendan Kennelly An accordion more
26 October 2003 Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth A CD player more
2 November 2003 Christopher Frayling Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes The V&A Museum more
16 November 2003 Jeremy Clarkson A photograph albumA jet ski more
23 November 2003 Sir Christopher Meyer The Four Adventures of Richard Hannay by John Buchan and Robin W. Winks A jukebox more
30 November 2003 Henry Blofeld A Pelican at Blandings by P. G. Wodehouse A personal photo album more
7 December 2003 Pat Barker A book on tropical fish to identify them Snorkelling equipment more
14 December 2003 Nicholas Grimshaw The complete works of Patrick O'Brien RIBA drawings collection more
21 December 2003 Emmylou Harris A blank bookA library more
28 December 2003 Paul O'Grady The Borrowers by Mary Norton Skin-So-Soft by Avon more

2004

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
4 January 2004 Martha Lane Fox War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy A karaoke machine more
11 January 2004 Jimmy Tarbuck The Essential Henry Longhurst His own set of golf clubs and balls more
18 January 2004 Stephen Frears The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon A painting by his wife more
25 January 2004 Paul Dacre RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants by Christopher BrickellA subscription to the Guardian newspaper for one year more
1 February 2004 David Sainsbury The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald A large bath with a constant supply of hot water more
8 February 2004 Sister Frances Dominica The Earth from the Air by Yann Arthus-Bertrand A chaise longue with a mosquito net attached more
15 February 2004 Sacha Distel The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho A grand piano more
22 February 2004 John Cale Repetition by Alain Robbe-Grillet An espresso coffee machine with coffee beans more
29 February 2004 Judith Kerr A big, beautiful coffee table book of pictures Pencils and thick paper to write and draw on more
7 March 2004 Sir Gulam Noon Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela Videos of cricket matches more
14 March 2004 Bill Nighy The First Forty-Nine Stories by Ernest Hemingway A boxed set of blues harps more
21 March 2004 Ralph Kohn Mahler's copy of The Complete Works of Bach A magic flute more
28 March 2004 Jack Vettriano SUMO by Helmut Newton Triptych, May - June, 1973 by Francis Bacon more
4 April 2004 Angela Gheorghiu A book to learn good EnglishA cup of Jasmine tea more
11 April 2004 Michael Morpurgo The Rattle Bag: An Anthology of Poetry edited by Seamus Heaney & Ted Hughes Waterslide more
18 April 2004 Bernard Cornwell A Glastonbury Romance by John Cowper Powys His boat, but not to escape more
25 April 2004 Antonio Pappano Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain A piano more
2 May 2004 Graham Norton Mansfield Park by Jane Austen A mirror more
9 May 2004 U. A. Fanthorpe A book to identify birdlife on the islandA bath with soap and towels more
16 May 2004 Pen Hadow The Oxford Book of English Verse A six-inch nail more
23 May 2004 Ken Adam Propyläen Kunstgeschichte The History of ArtA sketchpad and felt pens to design more
30 May 2004 Geraldine James The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes An iPod more
13 June 2004 Karan Bilimoria The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister videos more
20 June 2004 Diana Athill Vanity Fair by William Thackeray Her own bed more
27 June 2004 Tim Rice Molesworth by Geoffrey Willans, Phillip Henscher and Ronald Searle A telescope more
4 July 2004 Michael Howard The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro A hot shower and some soap more
11 July 2004 Hugh Masekela Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens A keyboard more
19 September 2004 Joe Simpson A blank book and penA drink-making machine more
26 September 2004 Virginia McKenna Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife by Don E. Wilson Language tapes to learn Italian and Swahili more
3 October 2004 Desmond Morris The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights translated by Richard Burton A snorkel more
10 October 2004 Anne Scott-James The Semi-attached Couple by Emily Eden A nightdress made of pure white cotton more
17 October 2004 Sir Menzies Campbell Treasure Island and Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson A set of golf clubs more
24 October 2004 Jack Mapanje Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen A guitar more
31 October 2004 Matthew Pinsent A world atlas A shaving kit more
7 November 2004 Ann Leslie The completed works of P. G. Wodehouse An enormous amount of garlic with garlic press more
19 November 2004 Matthew Bourne The Kenneth Williams Diaries Spotted dick with Lyon's golden syrup more
21 November 2004 Clive Stafford Smith The Koran in Arabic and EnglishHis computer more
28 November 2004 Tracey Emin Ethics by Spinoza, translated by G. H. R. ParkinsonA pen which would never run out more
5 December 2004 Sir Bobby Robson The First World War and The Second World War by John Keegan A sunlounger with canopy to protect him from the sun more
12 December 2004 John Fortune The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa (in Italian and English)A rug made by the Baluch people from Afghanistan more
19 December 2004 Engelbert Humperdinck Engelbert - What's In a Name: The Autobiography by Engelbert Humperdinck A saxophone more
26 December 2004 Kim Cattrall An English dictionaryFragrant body cream more

2005

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
2 January 2005 Carlos Acosta Dirty Havana Trilogy by Pedro Juan Gutierrez A case of Havana rum more
9 January 2005 Andy McNab Any Dickens bookA gollock more
16 January 2005 Sam Taylor-Wood Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes A karaoke machine more
23 January 2005 Dr Jonathan Miller The Invertebrates by Libbie Henrietta Hyman A canvas roll containing a castaway's dissecting set more
30 January 2005 Peter Maxwell Davies A Sanskrit dictionary Copper plate engravings of Dürer's Passion more
6 February 2005 David Starkey Microcosmographia Academica by Francis M. Cornford Hot and cold running water, a bath tub and bath oil more
27 February 2005 Geoffrey Palmer The Oxford Book of English Verse by Arthur Quiller-Couch and The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse by Philip Larkin A fly fishing rod more
6 March 2005 Alison Richard The Journals of Captain Cook A solar powered shower more
13 March 2005 Stephen Poliakoff My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell A box of plastic straws to fiddle with more
20 March 2005 Raymond Briggs The complete works of Beachcomber A full size billiard table with Radio 4 built into each leg more
27 March 2005 Yvonne Brewster A primer to learn Italian with a tape Olive oil more
3 April 2005 Lorin Maazel Pensées by Blaise Pascal Vermeer painting: The Piano Lesson more
10 April 2005 Philippe Petit The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford Ashley His mysterious object (an object found by his father that as yet no one can identify) more
17 April 2005 Patrick Stewart A compendium of the world's best science fiction so he can become an expertHis beloved billiard table and a shed to keep it in more
24 April 2005 Jarvis Cocker Sombrero Fallout by Richard Brautigan A bed with a mosquito net more
1 May 2005 Katharine Whitehorn A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson A machine to distill whatever is there more
8 May 2005 Josephine Cox "A book which is in my head about my brother"A photo album of her family more
15 May 2005 Imelda Staunton A book on astronomy Modelling clay and tools more
22 May 2005 David King Wild Reckoning: An Anthology Provoked by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" edited by John Burnside and Maurice RiordanA bunch of canvases with oils and brushes more
29 May 2005 Satish Kumar The collected writings of Mahatma Gandhi A spade more
5 June 2005 Nigel Slater Derek Jarman's Garden by Derek Jarman Howard Hodgkin's painting: Learning About Russian Music more
12 June 2005 Betsy Blair Reading Lyrics: More Than 1,000 of the Century's Finest Lyrics by Robert Gottlieb and Robert KimballAn ice cream maker more
19 June 2005 Alexander McCall Smith A collection of W. H. Auden's worksA handmade pair of shoes more
26 June 2005 Ruby Wax The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann A huge bed more
3 July 2005 Paulo Coelho The complete works of Oscar Wilde A trip around his island on Concorde more
10 July 2005 Ronald Searle The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The best Champagne possible more
18 September 2005 Brenda Blethyn A dictionaryA karaoke machine more
25 September 2005 Julian Clary Stop Thinking, Start Living by Richard Carlson An all-purpose prosthetic arm more
2 October 2005 Frank Gardner A Passage to India by E. M. Forster A solar powered buggy more
9 October 2005 Michael Winner The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger A big supply of caviar more
16 October 2005 Jacqueline Wilson The collected stories of Katherine Mansfield A fairground carousel more
23 October 2005 Mario Testino Demian by Hermann Hesse His own pillow more
30 October 2005 Boris Johnson MP An Indian paper edition of Homer A large pot of French mustard more
6 November 2005 Chris Evans A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens A pair of swimming goggles with prescription lenses more
18 November 2005 Renée Fleming The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis Coffee more
20 November 2005 Mary Midgley The Variety of Religious Experiences by William James A solar hot water system more
27 November 2005 Sir David Frost The London A-Z Sunday newspapers more
4 December 2005 Colin Firth Stories of Woody Allen His guitar more
11 December 2005 David Hope The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens A case of selected malt whiskies more
18 December 2005 Maggi Hambling The Complete works of Just William by Richmal Crompton The wine cellar from All Souls College, Oxford more
25 December 2005 John Rutter Teach yourself mathematics illustrated by voluptuous womenA viola more

2006

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
1 January 2006 Kelly Holmes A set of encyclopaediasA large supply of chocolate more
8 January 2006 Richard Griffiths Vanity Fair by William Thackeray Velázquez's Las Meninas more
15 January 2006 Frankie Dettori The history of the Derby A lifetime's supply of Pinot grigio more
22 January 2006 John Sutherland Vanity Fair by William Thackeray An iPod more
29 January 2006 Rt. Hon. Shirley Williams Collected works of W. H. Auden A personal computer linked to the Internet more
5 February 2006 Jeremy Irons The Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford Ashley Rizla liquorice papers more
12 February 2006 Karen Armstrong The complete works of Milton Continuous supply of very cold & dry white wine more
19 February 2006 Frederic Raphael The Oxford Latin Dictionary A Montblanc pen, nibs and spiral-bound squared notebooks more
26 February 2006 Rachel Whiteread A reference book on the natural history of the island Ink, pen, paper and correction fluid more
5 March 2006 Jack Higgins The complete works of Charles Dickens A mobile phone more
12 March 2006 Terence Stamp The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame One of his wheat-free loaves more
7 May 2006 Daniel Barenboim Ethics by Spinoza A piano with a mattress more
14 May 2006 Darcey Bussell A biography of Audrey Hepburn An eyelash curler more
21 May 2006 Digby Jones How Britain made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson A video or pictorial book of '100 examples of excellence' more
28 May 2006 David Cameron The River Cottage Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall A crate of Scotch whisky more
4 June 2006 Armando Iannucci The complete short stories of H. G. Wells A virtual sherry trifle more
11 June 2006 George Davies A book about learning to paintA Cannondale bike more
18 June 2006 Peter Mansfield Family photograph albumsA helicopter more
2 July 2006 John Browne Other Men's Flowers: An Anthology of Poetry by Lord Wavell A lifetime's supply of 'great cigars' more
9 July 2006 Monty Don Collected poems of Henry Vaughan Rembrandt's Hendrickje Bathing more
16 July 2006 Ian Rankin A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell A traditional American pinball machine more
23 July 2006 Hanna Segal In Search of Lost Time by Proust A snorkel and polaroids more
30 July 2006 David Edgar An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan A piano more
6 August 2006 Michael Rosen The complete poems of Carl Sandburg The didgeridoo belonging to his late son Eddie more
13 August 2006 Simon Cowell Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins A mirror more
20 August 2006 A. A. Gill Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor by Mervyn Peake His children's pillows more
27 August 2006 Joan Plowright Remembrance of Things Past by Proust A piano more
1 October 2006 Quentin Blake Collected works of Charles Dickens Arches watercolour paper more
8 October 2006 Jane Horrocks Jamie's Dinners: The Essential Family Cookbook by Jamie Oliver An endless supply of tissues more
15 October 2006 Robert Fisk Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory A violin more
22 October 2006 Camila Batmanghelidjh Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre A yoyo more
29 October 2006 Heston Blumenthal On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee Japanese knives more
5 November 2006 Humphrey Lyttelton Collected works of James Thurber A keyboard more
17 November 2006 John Stevens Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader by Paul Brickhill A cellar of Champagne more
19 November 2006 Stephen King Collected poetry of W. H. Auden A water hammock more
26 November 2006 Matt Lucas The Deeper Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd Oslo Court, his favourite London restaurant more
3 December 2006 Raymond Gubbay Collins Robert French/English, English/French Unabridged DictionaryAn espresso coffee machine more
10 December 2006 Karl Jenkins Michelin Guide to FranceA piano more
17 December 2006 Arnold Wesker Remembrance of Things Past by Proust Supplies of pen and paper more
24 December 2006 Gloria Hunniford War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Family photographs more
31 December 2006 Anthony Horowitz A large French dictionaryA fountain pen, ink and paper more

2007

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
7 January 2007 Lady Natasha Spender Desert Islands by Walter de la Mare Her grand piano more
14 January 2007 Edna O'Brien Ulysses by James Joyce a vault of a very good white wine more
21 January 2007 Ann Daniels The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard A bar of soap more
28 January 2007 Brian Aldiss John Halpern's biography of John Osborne A banjo more
4 February 2007 Neil Tennant The Human Comedy by Honoré de Balzac A DVD projector and DVDs more
11 February 2007 Paul Abbott The complete works of Arthur Miller A writing pad and pencils more
18 February 2007 Grayson Perry An art book on Gothic and Renaissance altarpieces Loads of really good pens and paper more
25 February 2007 Andrew Neil The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith A wind up radio more
4 March 2007 J. P. Donleavy The 1972 Social Register of New York His own long-handled spoon to make dressings more
11 March 2007 Andy Kershaw Collected works of Ryszard Kapuściński Lots of toilet roll more
18 March 2007 Jo Brand The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon A church organ more
25 March 2007 Professor Raymond Tallis Being and Time by Martin Heidegger A video of a day in the life of his family more
1 April 2007 Ben Helfgott The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell A bar with two discs for weight training more
13 May 2007 Joanna Lumley A huge atlas Video camera and film more
20 May 2007 Greg Dyke Complete works of Dylan Thomas A guitar with a guide to playing it more
27 May 2007 Paul McKenna The Path of the Human Being by Dennis Genpo Merzel Collage of photos of family, friends and girlfriend more
3 June 2007 Tom Blundell Lessons in Ndebele by James Pelling and Pamela PellingA combined heat and power micro-unit more
10 June 2007 Yoko Ono Sai-Yu-Ki Her life for the next thirty years more
17 June 2007 Christy Moore Collection of Popular Songs of England & Scotland by Francis Child A set of Uilleann pipes more
24 June 2007 Ricky Gervais A coffee table book of artVat of Novocaine - a non-addictive pain-killer more
1 July 2007 Wangari Maathai The Koran A huge basket of fruit more
8 July 2007 Simon Russell Beale Book on medieval history (Cambridge Press)Daily Araucaria crossword more
15 July 2007 Oliver Postgate Huge book of English poetry A comfortable bed more
22 July 2007 Thomas Keneally Collected plays of George Bernard Shaw Can of caviar, spoon and tin opener more
29 July 2007 Nicola Horlick The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho A bath more
5 August 2007 Andrew Davies Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Endless supply of Mojitos more
12 August 2007 Felix Dennis Dictionary of National Biography A very long stainless steel shaft to encourage pole dancing mermaids more
19 August 2007 Vladimir Jurowski The complete works of Alexander Pushkin A piano more
30 September 2007 George Michael Any book of short stories by Doris Lessing Aston Martin DB9 more
7 October 2007 Alan Johnson The complete diaries by Samuel Pepys A digital radio more
14 October 2007 Jill Balcon Collected works of Thomas Hardy A barrel of Guerlain Jicky perfume more
21 October 2007 Ronnie Corbett Untold Stories by Alan Bennett A hammock more
28 October 2007 Lord Joffe Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela A wind up radio more
4 November 2007 Nicholas Parsons Oxford Anthology of English Poetry Portable radio with an endless supply of batteries more
16 November 2007 Jung Chang First Love by Ivan Turgenev Snorkelling gear more
18 November 2007 Eliza Manningham-Buller The Rattle Bag – Anthology of poetry edited by Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney Large supply of pencils and pens more
25 November 2007 Armistead Maupin The Cole Porter Songbook Vaporiser more
2 December 2007 Steven Isserlis Collected works of Anthony Trollope A huge, huge photo album of all my friends more
9 December 2007 Alec Jeffreys Complete books of Flashman by George McDonald Fraser World's biggest Church organ more
16 December 2007 Paul Weller Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes A settee to sit on more
23 December 2007 Victoria Wood A big Dickens bookA bumper book of Sudoku with blank pages and pen more
30 December 2007 Karren Brady Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Her own pillow more

2008

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
6 January 2008 John Humphrys Biggest poetry anthology possibleA cello more
13 January 2008 Simon Rattle Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Italian coffee machine and grinder more
20 January 2008 Rory Stewart A parallel text of the Bhagvad Gita A ceramic bowl from the village of Istalif in Afghanistan more
3 February 2008 Beryl Bainbridge Case books of John Hunter Pens and paper more
10 February 2008 Oleg Gordievsky Encyclopædia Britannica Good toiletries for my bath more
17 February 2008 Martin Evans Largest anthology of poetry possibleA microscope, equipment and a stack of notebooks more
24 February 2008 David Dimbleby The collected works of Michel de Montaigne's essaysA collection of drawing books, pencils and varnish more
2 March 2008 Michael Ball The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman Cloudy Bay Sauvignon blanc more
9 March 2008 Liz Smith A very large catalogue A complete artist's set more
16 March 2008 Tariq Ali Collected works of Marcel Proust A mini DVD player more
23 March 2008 Stanley McMurtry Collected works of John Steinbeck Tenor saxophone more
30 March 2008 Penelope Wilton An anthology of 20th century European poetry An open-air cinema with a selection of films more
11 May 2008 Annie Lennox The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Suncream more
18 May 2008 Diane Abbott Volumes of architectural & historical surveys of LondonA nice bed with comfortable mattress, sheets and mosquito net more
25 May 2008 Howard Goodall The diary of Anne Frank Ice cold vanilla vodka and tonics more
1 June 2008 Lord Woolf The Koran A happy photograph of his whole family including the latest grandchildren more
8 June 2008 Bill Bailey Collected works of Somerset Maugham Pack of cards more
20 June 2008 Peter Carey Austerlitz by W G Sebald A ‘magic’ pudding and a drink more
22 June 2008 Ara Darzi Yes Minister Pencil and paper more
29 June 2008 Posy Simmonds Four volumes of the London telephone directory The Crown Jewels more
6 July 2008 Antonio Carluccio His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman White truffles more
13 July 2008 Felicity Lott Les Misérables by Victor Hugo Lots of champagne and pistachio nuts more
20 July 2008 John Stefanidis Odyssey by Homer Sketch book with many pencils more
27 July 2008 Antonia Fraser The complete works of Walter Scott Strings and strings of false pearls more
3 August 2008 Richard Ingrams Teach yourself piano tuning Grand piano more
10 August 2008 A. C. Grayling The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil A good piano more
17 August 2008 Ruthie Henshall The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde A jar of Hellmann's mayonnaise more
28 September 2008 Miriam Margolyes Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens A flush toilet more
5 October 2008 David McVicar Vanity Fair by Thackeray Well stocked bar and fridge more
12 October 2008 Sanjeev Bhaskar The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams A grand piano more
19 October 2008 Randy Newman Divine Comedy by Dante in Italian with English translationA piano more
26 October 2008 Ian Bostridge War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy A solar computer loaded with pictures of my family and friends more
2 November 2008 Shami Chakrabarti To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee A private screening room with movies more
14 November 2008 Allan Ahlberg Selected Stories by Alice Munro A wall to kick a football against more
16 November 2008 David Davis MP The complete works of Iain Banks A magic wine cellar which never runs out more
23 November 2008 Janet Street-Porter Larousse Gastronomique Notebook and pens more
30 November 2008 Michael Eavis Blake by Peter Ackroyd A mouth organ with instruction book more
7 December 2008 Marcus du Sautoy The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse His own trumpet more
14 December 2008 Michael Deeley A decently translated book of The Qur'an 200 cases of vintage wine more
21 December 2008 James Nesbitt The collective writings of James LawtonA bottle of chilled Sancerre for every night more
28 December 2008 Haleh Afshar The poems of the Iranian poet Hafiz A rose bush more

2009

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
4 January 2009 Simon Murray Cautionary tales by Hilaire Belloc Lots of paper, pencils, and pencil sharpener more
11 January 2009 Ruth Padel The Iliad by Homer A lot of paper and pencils more
18 January 2009 Vincent Cable MP A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking An Aston Martin car more
25 January 2009 Alan Sillitoe The Air Publication 1234 (RAF manual for navigation)A communications receiver – receiving only more
1 February 2009 Thomas Quasthoff Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Good wine more
8 February 2009 David Suchet Magnum Magnum edited by Brigitte LardinoisHis clarinet and an unlimited supply of reeds more
15 February 2009 Professor Dame Kay Davies Untold Stories by Alan Bennett A piano more
22 February 2009 David Walliams Collected poems (edition 1988 or 2003 not stated) of Philip Larkin A gun (to shoot himself, if lonely) more
1 March 2009 Lord Rix Encyclopædia Britannica A proper orthopaedic cushion more
8 March 2009 Richard Madeley Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Guitar more
15 March 2009 Baaba Maal Coups de Pilon by David Diop Guitar more
22 March 2009 Athene Donald A set of the Lymond novels of Dorothy Dunnett A bath more
29 March 2009 Sebastian Faulks C. K. Scott Moncrieff's translation of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past A wicket, cricket bat, net, an endless supply of balls and a bowling machine that can be set to replicate the style of any bowler more
10 May 2009 Whoopi Goldberg Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke Wise Potato Chips more
17 May 2009 Peter Sallis The collected works of P. G. Wodehouse No. 7 Meccano outfit more
24 May 2009 Barry Humphries The Melbourne Street Directory (an old version) Paints more
31 May 2009 Caroline, Countess of Cranbrook Food in England by Dorothy Hartley Ink and a pen more
7 June 2009 Piers Morgan An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan His cricket bat more
14 June 2009 Baron Healey Faber Book of English Verse Very large box of chocolates including nougat more
21 June 2009 Martin Shaw Post Captain in the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian A synthesiser to make up his own music

more

28 June 2009 Arlene Phillips Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Tweezers

more

5 July 2009 Harvey Goldsmith The Reader's Digest Do-It-Yourself GuideA piano

more

12 July 2009 Hugh Pennington The Cabinet Cyclopedia edited by Dionysius Lardner A brass microscope

more

19 July 2009 David Mitchell Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh DVD player and sitcom boxsets

more

26 July 2009 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Moby Dick by Herman Melville Full set of Scuba gear

more

2 August 2009 Nicky Haslam Legacy by Sybille Bedford A large 18th-century picture

more

9 August 2009 Dame Joan Bakewell War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy An abundance of paper and pencils more
16 August 2009 Roberto Alagna The works of Victor Hugo A guitar more
27 September 2009 Barry Manilow Man vs Wild - Survival Techniques from the Most Dangerous Places on Earth by Bear Grylls A piano more
4 October 2009 Ellen MacArthur The SAS Survival HandbookA fluffy purple worm (which has been taken everywhere) more
11 October 2009 Steve Coogan The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne Fully restored Morris Minor Traveller with wooden detail

more

18 October 2009 Jan Pienkowski An audiobook of Martin Jarvis reading Just William by Richmal Crompton A large supply of Moleskine sketch books

more

25 October 2009 Colin Pillinger Journey into Space by Charles Chilton A picture of the Clifton Suspension Bridge

more

1 November 2009 Jerry Springer A photo album of family and friends A cheeseburger machine

more

13 November 2009 Anthony Julius Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy San Pellegrino water on tap

more

15 November 2009 Julia Donaldson Poem for the DayA piano

more

22 November 2009 Sir Stuart Rose Wisden Cricketers' Almanack A power shower with white fluffy towels and constant hot water

more

29 November 2009 Morrissey The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde A comfortable bed with many pillows

more

6 December 2009 Baroness Scotland A bound collection of her family's prose and poetryA luxurious bathroom

more

13 December 2009 Lord Coe Such Sweet Thunder: Benny Green on Jazz by Benny Green A piano and a guide to playing it more
20 December 2009 Sir Michael Caine The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand A large bed with 50% goose down and 50% feather pillows more
27 December 2009 David Tennant A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust A solar DVD player loaded with the seven series of The West Wing more

2010

DateCastawayBookLuxuryMore
info
3 January 2010 John Copley Grove's Operatic Dictionary of Music His 49-year-old double bed more
10 January 2010 Mary Portas The works of Rumi, Persian poet and philosopher A set of different fragrances from the people she loves

more

17 January 2010 James Ellroy Libra by Don DeLillo Sunblock

more

24 January 2010 Frank Warren Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Merlot grapevine more
31 January 2010 Mary Beard Treasures of the British Museum by Marjorie CaygillThe Elgin Marbles more
7 February 2010 Gok Wan Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey Lip balm

more

14 February 2010 Jim Al-Khalili The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose His acoustic guitar

more

21 February 2010 Clive Woodward Short Game of Golf by Dave Pelz A sand wedge and golf ball

more

28 February 2010 June Spencer Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome A Scrabble board more
7 March 2010 Maggie Aderin-Pocock Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon A telescope more
14 March 2010 Duncan Bannatyne The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett A pillow more
21 March 2010 Frank Cottrell Boyce The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin A ferris wheel

more

28 March 2010 Emma Thompson Homer's Odyssey A saucepan - heavy bottomed with a removable handle more
9 May 2010 Fay Weldon Kennedy's Latin Primer A shotgun more
16 May 2010 Rob Brydon The collected works of Dylan Thomas A guitar

more

23 May 2010 Dame Stephanie Shirley Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne Madonna and Child by Henry Moore more
30 May 2010 György Pauk How to be an Alien by George Mikes An espresso machine more
13 June 2010 Frank Skinner Teach yourself French A ukulele more
20 June 2010 Lewis Gilbert A book of poems A football more
27 June 2010 Tony Adams The book of Alcoholics Anonymous A football

more

4 July 2010 Dame Fanny Waterman The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith A grand piano and a stool

more

11 July 2010 Dr Gwen Adshead Biggest book of poetry available Pen and paper more
18 July 2010 Tim Robbins A matchbook A surfboard

more

25 July 2010 Lynn Barber The Complete F. Scott Fitzgerald A cyanide pill more
1 August 2010 Jimmy Mulville The Complete Works of P. G. Wodehouse A solar powered espresso machine

more

8 August 2010 Lord Cobbold Zanoni by Edward Bulwer-Lytton A fishing rod more
15 August 2010 Kathy Burke The Complete Works of Graham Linehan A life size laminated photo of James Caan from Dragon's Den more
26 September 2010 Sir Tom Jones The Rise and Fall of the British Empire by Lawrence James A bucket and spade more
3 October 2010 Johnny Vegas The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell A kiln

more

10 October 2010Sarah Doukas The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin A photo album of all her family more
17 October 2010 Michael Mansfield The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine as his Bible and The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz A drum kit more
24 October 2010 Nick Clegg The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa A stash of cigarettes more
31 October 2010 Lang Lang The Analects of ConfuciusTwo feathered pillows more
7 November 2010 Ian McMillan The Long and The Short of It: Poems 19552005 by Roy Fisher A tandem bike with wooden models of his family on the front more
19 November 2010 Anna Del Conte The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa Extra virgin olive oil more
21 November 2010 Alice Cooper Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut An indoor golf driving range

more

28 November 2010 Robert Harris Scoop by Evelyn Waugh A nightly fragrant bath more
5 December 2010 Frances Wood A copy of Chinese dictionary Cihai , which means Sea of WordsThe war memorial outside Euston Station more
12 December 2010 Sir Torquil Norman A book of his father's poems and verses A small still with an ice maker attached to it

more

19 December 2010 Nick Park A Collins bird bookHis own "amazing pair of binoculars"

more

26 December 2010 Sandie Shaw Lecture on The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life by Daisaku Ikeda Omamori Gohonzon more

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Light Programme</span> Former British national radio station (1945–1967)

The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the long wave frequency which had earlier been used – prior to the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 September 1939 – by the BBC National Programme.

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Plomley</span> British radio broadcaster and writer (1914–1985)

Francis Roy Plomley, was an English radio broadcaster, producer, playwright and novelist. He is best remembered for devising the BBC Radio series Desert Island Discs, which he hosted from its inception in 1942 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Priestland</span> British journalist

Gerald Francis Priestland was a foreign correspondent, presenter and, later, a religious commentator for the BBC.

The Museum of Curiosity is a comedy talk show on BBC Radio 4 that was first broadcast on 20 February 2008. It is hosted by John Lloyd. He acts as the head of the (fictional) titular museum, while a panel of three guests – typically a comedian, an author and an academic – each donate to the museum an 'object' that fascinates them. The radio medium ensures that the suggested exhibits can be absolutely anything, limited only by the guests' imaginations.

Refugee Radio is a charity registered in England.

This is a list of events in British radio during 2006.

George Soper Cansdale was a British zoologist, writer and television personality. He was Superintendent of the Zoological Society of London, and one of the best-known presenters of wildlife programmes and items on British television between the 1950s and 1980s.

Sylva Stuart Watson was licensee and manager of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in London, England, from 1963.

This is a list of events in British radio during 2017.

A timeline of notable events relating to BBC Radio 4, a British national radio station which began broadcasting in September 1967.

References