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List of Desert Island Discs episodes (1991–2000)

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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 between 1991 and 2000 are listed here.

1991

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
6 January 1991 Lord Goodman Who's Who An enormous box of chocolate gingers more
13 January 1991 Adelaide Hall A book about American history Box of seeds more
20 January 1991 Fred Zinnemann War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Very large self-renewing bottle of scotch more
27 January 1991 Brian Eno Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity by Richard Rorty Radio telescope more
3 February 1991 Professor Ralf Dahrendorf A book of Greek poetry Dice to test the luck of a ship rescuing him more
10 February 1991 Paddy Ashdown MP The collected works of John Donne Laptop computer more
17 February 1991 Dame Ninette de Valois A collection of poems An everlasting bottle of sleeping pills more
24 February 1991 Ronald Eyre A talking book by Judi Dench Supply of flower bulbs more
3 March 1991 Sir Denis Forman Raj Quartet by Paul Scott Satellite dish and TV more
10 March 1991 Jeffrey Bernard The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle High powered hunting rifle and ammunition more
17 March 1991 Sir Trevor Holdsworth Collected Plays of J. B. Priestley Upright piano more
24 March 1991 Marti Caine Do-it-yourself manual Do-it-yourself kit more
7 April 1991 Naomi Mitchison Book of modern poetry Endless supply of writing materials more
14 April 1991 Lord King Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Supply of cigars and matches more
21 April 1991 Dr Jonathan Sacks The Talmud Large supply of pencils more
28 April 1991 Dame Shirley Porter SAS Survival Manual Large Swiss Army Knife more
12 May 1991 Cecil Lewis Sagittarius Surviving by C. S. Lewis Fax machine more
19 May 1991 John Simpson Anything in French by Marcel Proust Flute more
26 May 1991 Rt. Hon. John Smith Anthology of poems Case of champagne more
2 June 1991 Marco Pierre White Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point Picture of his daughter more
9 June 1991 Derek Walcott Ulysses by James Joyce Carton of cigarettes more
16 June 1991 A. S. Byatt A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Large filing cabinet full of A4 paper and pens more
23 June 1991 John Hegarty The Crock of Gold by James Stephens Clarinet more
30 June 1991 Ron Todd The collected works of Robert Burns Piano more
7 July 1991 Lord Shawcross The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope CD player/solar-powered radio more
25 August 1991 Alan Bleasdale Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Nail clippers more
1 September 1991 Maxwell Hutchinson Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot Guitar more
8 September 1991 Bernice Rubens Poems For Joy and Sermons For Solace by John Donne A painting by her daughter more
15 September 1991 John Banham The collected works of A. E. Housman Cigars and matches more
22 September 1991 Klaus Tennstedt Dr Faustus by Thomas Mann Mountain bike more
29 September 1991 David Bailey Voices of Silence by Malraux Nelson's Column more
6 October 1991 Imran Khan Bang-E-Dara by Iqbal Shotgun and clay pigeon trap more
13 October 1991 John Schlesinger Dictionary of Quotations Magimix (battery powered) more
20 October 1991 Elizabeth Esteve-Coll Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot Expensive perfumed hand cream more
27 October 1991 Alan Alda Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Italian pasta more
3 November 1991 E. P. Thompson Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake Typewriter and paper more
10 November 1991 Lord Delfont 1515–1985 British Music Theatre Book Cigars and matches more
17 November 1991 James Lovelock The Golden Treasury by Francis Palgrave Pen and paper more
24 November 1991 Dilys Powell Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Mouth organ with instructions more
1 December 1991 Fred Dibnah Bound volumes of the Engineer magazine Steamroller more
8 December 1991 Sue Townsend Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis Swimming pool of champagne more
22 December 1991 Gorden Kaye This Is Your Life by Gorden Kaye A clock given to him for turning on the Oxford lights more

1992

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
12 January 1992 Steven Berkoff A gardening book Piano more
19 January 1992 Reverend David Jenkins The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Binoculars more
26 January 1992 John Major The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope The Oval cricket ground replica and bowling machine more
2 February 1992 J. G. Ballard Moby Dick by Herman Melville Unicycle more
9 February 1992 Robbie Coltrane The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler Pencils and paper more
16 February 1992 Sir Roger Bannister Anthology of Russian, American and English stories Solar-powered receiver to receive BBC Radio 4 more
23 February 1992 Elvis Costello Selected Works of James Thurber Upright piano more
1 March 1992 Dr Steve Jones Valley of Bones by Anthony Powell Stuffed body of the Minister of Education more
8 March 1992 Jocelyn Stevens Other Men's Flowers by Lord Wavell One mile stretch of the River Test in Hampshire more
15 March 1992 Sir Isaiah Berlin Works, prose and verse by Aleksandr Pushkin Large armchair stacked with cushions more
22 March 1992 Lady Soames Memories from Beyond the Grave by Chateaubriand Supply of fine Havana cigars more
5 April 1992 Sir Ernst Gombrich Goethe's Poems by Johann Wolfgang Goethe Bathtub with an endless supply of hot water more
26 April 1992 Anthony Rolfe Johnson Welsh/English Dictionary Parquet floor and tap shoes more
3 May 1992 Henrietta, Marchioness of Tavistock History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill Triangular pillow more
10 May 1992 Will Carling The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Flotation tank more
17 May 1992 Michael Grade The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Sports results more
24 May 1992 Baron Taylor of Gosforth War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Piano more
31 May 1992 Prunella Scales The Complete Works of Shakespeare in German and the Bible in Russian, and a Russian dictionary Huge tapestry kit more
7 June 1992 Duncan Goodhew The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Wig more
14 June 1992 Robert Lindsay Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence Computer chess set more
21 June 1992 Terry Waite Complete Cambridge Histories Chess computer more
28 June 1992 Vivienne Westwood À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Multi-lingual dictionary more
5 July 1992 Clare Short MP Geometry tutor Piano more
12 July 1992 Mohamed Amin Life of John F. Kennedy Satellite dish and television set more
19 July 1992 Sir Peregrine Worsthorne Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh Hallucinogenic drugs more
26 July 1992 David Mellor The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy Telephone (disconnected) more
6 September 1992 Bob Geldof The Diary of Samuel Pepys Metropolitan Museum in New York more
13 September 1992 Penelope Leach The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud Coffee more
20 September 1992 Raymond Blanc The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry A good luck stone (from his wife) more
27 September 1992 Chad Varah The New Oxford Book of English Verse Own bathroom run by solar power with hot and cold water and a video player attached more
4 October 1992 Juliet Stevenson The Complete Works of W. B. Yeats Masaccio Frescos in the Brancacci Chapel more
11 October 1992 Lord Sainsbury The New Oxford Book of English Verse Bed more
18 October 1992 Julie Andrews The Once and Future King by T. H. White Piano more
25 October 1992 Gavin Laird The Diary of Samuel Pepys Year's recording of the Today programme more
1 November 1992 General H Norman Schwarzkopf The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran His dog, Bear more
8 November 1992 Christabel Bielenberg War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy A comfortable chair more
22 November 1992 John Eliot Gardiner Memoirs by Hector Berlioz Sancerre more
29 November 1992 Lord Tebbit History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill Drinking fountain with taps for sancerre and claret more
6 December 1992 Carmen Callil Maurice Guest by Henry Handel Richardson A film - The Commitments more
13 December 1992 Professor Ghillean Prance The Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert White Accordion more
20 December 1992 Paul Smith The Beano Annual 1974 Notebook and pencil more
25 December 1992 Stephen Hawking Middlemarch by George Eliot Creme brulee more

1993

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
3 January 1993 Elizabeth Jennings The New Oxford Book of American Verse Pad, felt pens and biros more
10 January 1993 Barbara Mills QC History of the Crusades by Steven Runciman Tennis court, balls, racket and wall more
17 January 1993 Dervla Murphy The Diary of Samuel Pepys A still to distill berries, etc., into drink more
24 January 1993 Evelyn Glennie Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman Chocolate more
31 January 1993 Anthony Storr A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Piano more
21 February 1993 Sir Robin Butler Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy A bag of golf clubs and balls more
28 February 1993 Elijah Moshinsky Michael Frayn translation of the Complete Plays of Anton Chekhov A duvet more
7 March 1993 Ken Livingstone MP The Myths of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley The World Service more
14 March 1993 David Croft Collected Poems of Sir John Betjeman Piano more
4 April 1993 Richard Gregory An astronomy book by Patrick Moore Astronomical telescope more
11 April 1993 Lord Oaksey Mr Mulliner's Memoirs by P. G. Wodehouse Cargo of champagne more
18 April 1993 Anton Edelmann Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Rainer Maria Rilke Wok more
25 April 1993 Baroness Blackstone Middlemarch by George Eliot Tennis balls and racket more
2 May 1993 John Boorman Memories, Dreams and Reflections by Carl Jung Telescope more
9 May 1993 John Cole À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Typewriter more
16 May 1993 Eva Burrows Faber Book of Religious Verse Game of Scrabble with paper and pencil more
23 May 1993 Lord Weinstock If This Is a Man by Primo Levi Photograph album of family, friends and colleagues more
30 May 1993 Kaye Webb Poetry of Naomi Lewis Very big photograph album on a wheeling table more
6 June 1993 Frank Bruno Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Picture of his family more
13 June 1993 Rt Hon Betty Boothroyd MP A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth Mace of the House of Commons more
20 June 1993 Joan Baez The Diary of Anne Frank Personal pouch with a silver lion on it more
27 June 1993 Sir Leon Brittan The collected works of Chaucer Collection of large-scale Ordnance Survey maps of England more
4 July 1993 Peter Mayle The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa The menu from his favourite Parisien restaurant more
11 July 1993 Nicholas Hytner The collected works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Large supply of total block suncream more
12 September 1993 Isabel Allende All correspondence between her and her mother Paper and pencils more
19 September 1993 Paul Merton Biography of Buster Keaton by Rudi Blesh Bed more
26 September 1993 Lord Palumbo On the Road by Jack Kerouac Telescope more
3 October 1993 Rt Hon Virginia Bottomley MP Norton's Star Atlas BBC Radio 4's Today programme more
10 October 1993 Lesley Garrett Photograph album Tightrope more
17 October 1993 Raymond Seitz Oxford Anthology of Modern Poetry Big box full of family albums more
24 October 1993 Kenny Everett Eagle annual Bathroom suite more
31 October 1993 Judge Stephen Tumim Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne Marbel bust of Laurence Sterne more
7 November 1993 Sybil Marshall Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Inexhaustible supply of Swiss lawn handkerchiefs more
14 November 1993 Shirley Anne Field Reader's Digest Large Chippendale mirror more
21 November 1993 Doris Lessing A Thousand and One Nights Magic carpet more
28 November 1993 Taki Essential Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway Boxing punchbag more
19 December 1993 Phil Collins Prehistory of the Far Side by Gary Larson Piano more
26 December 1993 Lord Ashley of Stoke A book about warfare Smoked salmon and wine more

1994

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
2 January 1994 Oliver Sacks Dictionary of Musical Themes Scuba diving kit more
9 January 1994 Ian Hislop Civilisation by Kenneth Clark Frosties more
16 January 1994 Sir Harrison Birtwistle A Latin Primer Chainsaw more
23 January 1994 Willy Russell A Latin Primer English meadow with an oak tree more
30 January 1994 Dame Cicely Saunders Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Pen and paper more
6 February 1994 Douglas Adams Omnibus of Golfing Stories by P. G. Wodehouse Martin D28 left-handed guitar more
13 February 1994 Rosemary Verey A Celebration of Gardens by Sir Roy Strong Waterproof pens, paper and folders more
20 February 1994 Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke MP The Life of Lord Melbourne by Lord David Cecil Tenor sax more
27 February 1994 Frances Partridge Memoirs by Duc de Saint-Simon Flower press more
6 March 1994 Christina Dodwell The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Pen and paper more
27 March 1994 Conrad Black Oxford Book of English Verse Model of HMS Hood more
3 April 1994 Sir Ranulph Fiennes Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake Antisan for insect bites more
10 April 1994 Roger McGough The Times atlas of the night sky Black cab more
17 April 1994 Alan Hacker Middlemarch by George Eliot Hovercraft wheelchair with cappuccino machine more
24 April 1994 Trevor McDonald Anthology of poetry Box of paints, brushes and paper more
1 May 1994 Garrison Keillor Roget's Thesaurus Set of china (four place settings) more
8 May 1994 Sir John Wilson A chess strategy book (in Braille) A sonic probe more
15 May 1994 Kate Adie The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Large Victorian bath with claw feet more
22 May 1994 Britt Ekland Recent editions of magazines, e.g. Vanity Fair, Vogue Case of Evian water and champagne more
29 May 1994 Peter Scudamore Book of verse by Rudyard Kipling Snorkeling equipment more
5 June 1994 Milton Shulman The Cookery Book by Constance Spry Tennis racket and ball machine more
12 June 1994 Zoë Wanamaker Greek Myths by Robert Graves Samson tobacco and liquorice Rizla papers more
19 June 1994 Brian Sewell Songs from the 1880s with piano accompaniment by Schubert Sculpture by Michelangelo more
26 June 1994 John Drummond Encyclopaedia of all the well-known operas Small theatre more
3 July 1994 Derek Jameson The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Word processor more
10 July 1994 Rabbi Hugo Gryn Biography of Churchill by Martin Gilbert A parking space more
11 September 1994 Joanna Trollope Oxford Book of English Verse Bed and white Egyptian sheets more
18 September 1994 John Tavener Apophthegmata Patrum (early writing of Egyptian fathers) Upright piano more
25 September 1994 Mary Stott The Act of Creation by Arthur Koestler Watercolours for painting more
2 October 1994 Professor James Fenton The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Snorkel, mask and harpoon more
9 October 1994 Jeanette Winterson Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot A case of Krug champagne more
16 October 1994 Sir George Christie Origin of Species by Charles Darwin BBC Radio 4's The Archers - all the recordings from the beginning more
23 October 1994 Lynda La Plante Fairy Stories by Honoré de Balzac Mouth organ more
30 October 1994 Kathleen Hale A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust A gilabra (cloak of gold) more
6 November 1994 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch Ice-cream maker (especially for rum and raisin flavour) more
13 November 1994 Berthold Goldschmidt Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann Vanity case including metal mirror and shaving kit more
20 November 1994 Glenys Kinnock Atlas of the Third World Toilet bag full of skin-barrier creams more
27 November 1994 Sir Howard Hodgkin Journal De Eugène Delacroix by Eugène Delacroix Mayonnaise – permanent supply more
4 December 1994 Margaret Forster A House For Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul Unlimited supply of A4 white paper and cartridges for fountain pen more
18 December 1994 Penelope Hobhouse The Golden Bowl by Henry James Laptop computer more
25 December 1994 David Jason OBE The complete boatbuilder's book A complete carpenter's toolbox more

1995

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
1 January 1995 Alan Clark A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell Piano more
8 January 1995 Patricia Hodge A compendium of the plays of Harold Pinter Supply of embroidery more
15 January 1995 Phil Redmond The collected works of Charles Dickens Magnifying glass more
22 January 1995 Dr. Richard Dawkins The Jeeves Omnibus by P. G. Wodehouse Computer (solar-powered) more
29 January 1995 Sir Adrian Cadbury Dr. Johnson's Lexicographic Works by Samuel Johnson Fibreglass sculling boat more
19 February 1995 Jimmy Knapp The Socialist Sixth of the World by Hewlett Johnson Case of Talisker whisky more
26 February 1995 Christopher Lee The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White Set of golf clubs

more

5 March 1995 Professor Eric Hobsbawm Canto General by Pablo Neruda Binoculars more
12 March 1995 Nigel Nicolson A Guide to the Universe Telescope more
19 March 1995 Felix Aprahamian Du Cote De Chez Swann by Marcel Proust Swiss army knife more
2 April 1995 Nina Bawden The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Plain paper, plastic folders and ballpoint pens more
9 April 1995 James Bowman Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Fabergé egg more
16 April 1995 Hugh Grant King Ottokar's Sceptre by Herge Supply of handkerchiefs more
23 April 1995 George Lloyd Piers Plowman (in Middle English) by William Langland Romney's portrait of Lady Hamilton more
30 April 1995 Pete Waterman A history of Great Western Railway engines Havana cigars and matches more
7 May 1995 Dr. George Carey Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot Computer and an empty bottle more
14 May 1995 Neil Simon How To Swim Large harmonica more
21 May 1995 Sir Bernard Ingham The Times Atlas of the World Colin Cowdrey's bowling machine more
28 May 1995 Marianne Faithfull Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe Pen from Asprey's with attached magnifying glass more
4 June 1995 Brian Blessed In Search of the Miraculous by Peter Ouspensky Scarf given to him by the Dalai Lama more
11 June 1995 John Lee Hooker A book with pictures of pretty women His guitar more
18 June 1995 Sir Magdi Yacoub Pluto's Republic by Sir Peter Medawar Hammock more
25 June 1995 Jasper Conran Tales by Hoffman Vintage Krug champagne more
2 July 1995 Duke of Westminster Through Russian Snows by G. A. Henty Telescope more
9 July 1995 Wendy Richard Wilt by Tom Sharpe Tapestry to make more
10 September 1995 John Updike The collected works of Marcel Proust Silken tent (for luxury, not survival) more
17 September 1995 Max Nicholson The Phenomenon of Man by Pierre Teilhard De Chardin Binoculars more
24 September 1995 Maurice Saatchi Hamlet (1875 edition) by William Shakespeare Virtual-reality headset more
1 October 1995 Jenny Pitman Veterinary Notes For Horse Owners Television set more
8 October 1995 Alan Yentob Essays by Michel de Montaigne Video recorder more
15 October 1995 Richard Hoggart Essays by Michel de Montaigne Fountain pen and paper more
22 October 1995 Don Black 14,000 Things to be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer Snooker table more
29 October 1995 Elizabeth Jane Howard All the sonatas by Scarlatti Piano more
5 November 1995 Rt Hon Gillian Shephard MP The Warning of the Middle Ages by Johan H. Huizinga Madame Rochas scent more
12 November 1995 Umberto Eco The New York Phone Book Laptop computer more
19 November 1995 George Martin A book on how to build a boat Electric keyboard more
3 December 1995 Alison Steadman One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Hot lemon flannels (as provided in Chinese restaurants) more
17 December 1995 Barbara Dickson English & Scottish Ballads by Francis Child Very large set of solar-powered hair rollers more
24 December 1995 Petula Clark Anything by Peter Ustinov Her piano more
31 December 1995 Lady Margaret Tebbit Hillier's Dictionary of Plants An endless team of Man Fridays more

1996

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
7 January 1996 Christopher Hampton Anything by Marcel Proust Pen and paper more
14 January 1996 Jimmy McGovern Ulysses by James Joyce Haemorrhoid ointment more
21 January 1996 Chili Bouchier In Tune With The Infinite: Fullness of Peace Power by Ralph Waldo Trine Make-up kit more
28 January 1996 Julian Barnes Letters of Gustave Flaubert Writing equipment more
4 February 1996 Eve Arnold Arabian Nights Dark room, film and camera more
11 February 1996 Susan Hill The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford The Barnes Collection (paintings) more
18 February 1996 Professor George Steiner 500 year ahead calendar and appointment book Computer more
25 February 1996 Sir Roy Calne Global Biodiversity by Brian Goombridge Paints and canvas more
3 March 1996 Gordon Brown The Story of Art by Sir Ernst Gombrich Tennis ball machine and racket more
17 March 1996 Lord Alexander Other Men's Flowers by Lord Wavell Paints and canvas more
24 March 1996 Kyra Vayne A culinary book Peanuts and treats to tame animals and birds more
31 March 1996 Simon Weston Sharpe's Eagle by Bernard Cornwell Daily newspapers more
7 April 1996 Dickie Bird Wisden Cricketers' Almanack TV and satellite to watch Test matches more
14 April 1996 Viscount Rothermere The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri A pair of scissors more
21 April 1996 Hanif Kureishi The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud Marijuana seeds more
28 April 1996 Mitsuko Uchida Anything by Leo Tolstoy (in Russian and English) Piano more
5 May 1996 Pauline Quirke Crying With Laughter by Bob Monkhouse Shampoo more
12 May 1996 Hugh Laurie A self-learn Italian book (slowly) Family photo album more
19 May 1996 Janet Holmes à Court Tourmaline by Randolph Stow Jar of vegemite more
26 May 1996 Michael White Anything by Marcel Proust Bicycle more
2 June 1996 Gerry Robinson The History of the World by John Roberts Painting kit (easel, oils, brushes) more
9 June 1996 Peggy Mount The Diary of Noël Coward Tea in abundance more
16 June 1996 Quentin Crewe Essays by Michel de Montaigne The cellar from Trinity College, Cambridge more
18 August 1996 André Previn The collected works of Anton Chekhov Piano more
25 August 1996 Anita Lasker-Wallfisch The History of the World by John Roberts Cello more
1 September 1996 Sir Terence Conran History of the World by H. G. Wells Endless supply of A4 paper and 4B pencils more
8 September 1996 Professor Colin Blakemore The Discoverers by Daniel Boorstin Solar-powered Internet (to receive, not send) more
15 September 1996 Kevin Whately The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie Northumbrian pipes more
22 September 1996 Fran Landesman Rebel Without Applause and Jaywalking by Jay Landesman Cannabis seeds more
29 September 1996 Ben Elton His wedding photo album The British Museum more
6 October 1996 Lewis Wolpert Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and The Principles of Morals by David Hume Bicycle more
13 October 1996 Rumer Godden The Atlantic Book of British and American Poetry by Edith Sitwell A widow's cruise filled with whisky more
20 October 1996 Jack Charlton Encyclopaedia of How to Survive Fishing rod more
27 October 1996 Jancis Robinson Middlemarch by George Eliot Cellar of wines and a corkscrew more
3 November 1996 Chris Patten A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking Bath more
10 November 1996 Sir Laurens Van Der Post The Golden Bough by James Frazer Piano more
17 November 1996 Tessa Sanderson The History of the World by John Roberts Toothbrush and toothpaste more
24 November 1996 Tony Blair Ivanhoe by Walter Scott Guitar more
1 December 1996 Bruce Forsyth The collected works of Omar Khayyam Sand iron (golf club) more
8 December 1996 Robert Winston The Koran (in Arabic and English) Glass and tools to make a telescope more
15 December 1996 Ian Dury Macmillan Dictionary of Art Mixing desk (solar-powered) more
22 December 1996 Jennifer Saunders Traveller's Prelude by Freya Stark Tribute Heads by Elisabeth Frink more
29 December 1996 Martin Amis The Complete Works of John Milton Cable television more

1997

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
5 January 1997 John Cleese Stand By Your Man by Tammy Wynette Michael Palin – stuffed more
26 January 1997 Irene Thomas Complete score of Fidelio by Beethoven Teddy bear stuffed with tea and lily of the valley more
2 February 1997 Gene Wilder The Notebooks of Captain Georges by Jean Renoir Earl Grey tea more
9 February 1997 Terry Pratchett Edible Plants of the South Seas by Emile Massal The Chrysler Building more
16 February 1997 Mary Benson Unpublished Notes by Athol Fugard Telescope more
23 February 1997 Nico Ladenis Beau Geste by P. C. Wren Cantona's Manchester United shirt more
2 March 1997 Dr. Susan Greenfield The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa Endless supply of curry more
9 March 1997 Redmond O'Hanlon War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Pair of green, insulated Leica binoculars 8 X 20 more
16 March 1997 Nina Campbell Photograph album Bed more
23 March 1997 Peter Blake Lemprieres' Dictionary by Lawrence Norfolk Gym more
30 March 1997 Virginia Ironside The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale Big bag of plaster to make heads of friends more
20 April 1997 Saeed Jaffrey The Complete Works of Mirza Ghalib Case of Black Label and Dom Pérignon more
27 April 1997 Andy Hamilton The Physics of Immortality by Frank J. Tipler Football more
4 May 1997 Sir Martin Rees Collective cartoons of Gary Larson Jefferson reclining chair more
11 May 1997 David Wynne The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer Harmonica more
18 May 1997 Harry Enfield Bleak House by Charles Dickens Beer and a cigarette machine more
25 May 1997 Sian Phillips The Medical Care of Merchant Seamen by William Louis Wheeler Pencils and paper more
1 June 1997 Joanna MacGregor The Sleep Walkers by Arthur Koestler Sampler to record the noises of the island more
8 June 1997 Benjamin Zephaniah Poetical Works of Shelley Law of the island (so he could break it) more
15 June 1997 Christina Noble The Book of Kells Photo of an Irish cottage more
22 June 1997 Eric Sykes Ripley's Believe It or Not Sand wedge and crate of golf balls more
24 August 1997 Iain Banks The Complete Monty Python Front seat of a Porsche more
31 August 1997 Cleo Laine The Jazz Revolution by John Dankworth Perfume more
7 September 1997 Sir Frank Kermode The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Samuel Palmer's painting Moonlit Landscape more
14 September 1997 Ursula Owen The collected works of Anton Chekhov Family photo album more
21 September 1997 Mike Leigh OBE One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Lavatory and lavatory paper more
28 September 1997 Peter O'Sullevan Ends and Means by Aldous Huxley Bottle of Calvados more
5 October 1997 Jools Holland The Four Books of Architecture by Andrea Palladio Piano more
12 October 1997 Rose Tremain A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking Word processor more
19 October 1997 Richard Rodney Bennett The Atlantic Book of British and American Poetry by Edith Sitwell 6mm 36 inch circular knitting needle with a point at each end more
26 October 1997 Richard Mabey The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Guitar more
2 November 1997 John Julius Norwich The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Laptop computer more
9 November 1997 Anthony Minghella Collected piano works by Bach Piano more
23 November 1997 Thelma Holt Utopia by Thomas Moore Rosary beads more
30 November 1997 Loyd Grossman Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Fishing rod more
7 December 1997 Paula Rego Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald Pencil and paper more
14 December 1997 Chris Haskins The collected works of Seán O'Casey Pen and paper more
21 December 1997 Sir Harry Secombe The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens Guitar more
28 December 1997 Glenda Jackson MP The History and Creation of a Japanese Sand Garden Bath more

1998

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
4 January 1998 Professor Heinz Wolff Collection of Landscape pictures (with book) Collection of landscape pictures more
11 January 1998 Paul Hogarth The Times Atlas of World History Solar-powered Apple Mac more
18 January 1998 John Tomlinson Flora and Fauna of tropical desert island A box of lenses more
25 January 1998 Helena Kennedy QC Aeneid by Virgil Goose down duvet more
1 February 1998 Colin Dexter The collected works of A. E. Housman Manicure set more
15 February 1998 Richard Noble War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Guitar more
22 February 1998 David Pountney Anthology: The English Year by Geoffrey Grigson Croquet lawn more
1 March 1998 Archie Norman MP The Compleat Angler by Isaac Walton Jar of Marmite more
8 March 1998 Sir Anthony Dowell The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Sketch pad and paints more
15 March 1998 Ian Stewart Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter Margaret Thatcher pickled in a Damien Hurst sculpture more
22 March 1998 Andrew Motion Prelude by William Wordsworth Pencils and paper more
29 March 1998 Alice Thomas Ellis Come Hither – An Anthology by Walter de la Mare Very comfortable sofa more
5 April 1998 Gavin Bryars Science and Civilisation in China by Joseph Needham Gravity chair more
12 April 1998 Dame Judi Dench Ordnance Survey map of the world The Man with a Glove, painting by Titian more
19 April 1998 Sir Terry Frost Blank sheets to write his thoughts on imagination and memory Mirror more
26 April 1998 Sir Ernest Hall The collected works of William Blake Piano more
3 May 1998 Susan Blackmore Origin of Species by Charles Darwin Handful of cannabis seeds more
10 May 1998 Antony Gormley Principle of Hope by Ernst Bloch Snorkel and mask more
17 May 1998 Sir David Willcocks Book on astronomy King's College Chapel more
24 May 1998 John Harle The Aesthetics of Music by Roger Scruton Lute and strings more
7 June 1998 Geoffrey Smith History of viticulture, with instructions on how to make wine Bundle of prunings from a good vineyard so he can plant his own vines more
14 June 1998 Bill Kenwright Everton – The Complete Record by Steve Johnson Guitar more
21 June 1998 John Bird The Encyclopaedia of London Mont Blanc pen, notebook and ink more
28 June 1998 Jack Rosenthal Finnegans Wake by James Joyce Clay for making sculpture more
5 July 1998 Sybille Bedford A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust A French restaurant in full working order more
12 July 1998 Rt Hon Jack Straw MP The Franco Prussian War – The German Invasion of France 1870–1871 by Michael Howard Saxophone more
19 July 1998 Howard Brenton The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Champagne more
26 July 1998 Chris De Burgh Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner Snorkel more
2 August 1998 Ralph Steadman The New La Rousse Encyclopaedia of Mythology Chisels more
9 August 1998 David Hempleman Adams Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach Saxophone more
16 August 1998 Les Murray A blank, lined book Marble four-poster bed more
23 August 1998 Ralph Koltai French dictionary Cigars more
30 August 1998 Lucy Gannon The Faber Book of Reportage by John Carey Jaguar XK8 more
1 November 1998 Paul Daniel Beautifully bound blank book Cello and music for Bach's cello suites more
8 November 1998 Joseph Rotblat Encyclopædia Britannica on CD-ROM Solar-powered laptop more
15 November 1998 Nicole Kidman Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson Sun block more
22 November 1998 Bill Morris Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Cricket bat signed by "the three Ws" – Sir Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott more
29 November 1998 Eileen Atkins Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf An Atkinson Grimshaw painting more
6 December 1998 John Keegan The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan French-speaking man robot more
13 December 1998 Dick Francis Men and Horses I Have Known by George Lampton Waterbed more
20 December 1998 Bob Monkhouse The Adventures of Alice by Lewis Carroll Clarinet more
25 December 1998 Sir David Attenborough Shifts and Expedients of Camp Life by W. B. Lord Guitar more

1999

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
3 January 1999 Dave Brubeck The Spear in the Sand by Raoul C. Faure Grand piano more
10 January 1999 Clare Hollingworth History of England by G. M. Trevelyan Paper and pens (with thick nibs) more
17 January 1999 David Shepherd Collected works of Beatrix Potter Wind-up video player more
24 January 1999 Ruth Prawer Jhabvala The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky A chaise longue by a window more
31 January 1999 Bill Bryson The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson Basketball and hoop with a little hard standing more
7 February 1999 Andras Schiff The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri Piano more
14 February 1999 Nina Cassian Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne Cigarettes and whisky more
21 February 1999 Maria Ewing Collected Poems of John Donne Piano more
28 February 1999 Richard Curtis Guinness Book of Pop Pizza Express in Notting Hill more
7 March 1999 Sir Charles Mackerras Translation of Shakespeare in either German, Italian or Czech If a hot island – a huge bottle of suntan lotion and if a cold island – a pillow more
14 March 1999 Fay Maschler Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons Huge supply of ouzo more
21 March 1999 Rt Hon Mo Mowlam MP The collected works of Seamus Heaney Globe more
28 March 1999 Luise Rainer The Proper Study of Mankind by Isaiah Berlin To be missed by the people she loves more
4 April 1999 Richard Dunwoody The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Endless supply of ice-cream

more

11 April 1999 Paco Peña Anthology of poetry by Jose Bergua Virtual reality module more
18 April 1999 Ken Loach Golden Treasury of English Songs and Lyrics by Francis Palgrave Radio (for football results) more
25 April 1999 Stan Tracey Crazy Like A Fox by S. J. Perelman The film – Oh, Mr Porter! more
2 May 1999 Helen Bamber Poet For Poet by Richard McCain Radio to listen to the World Service more
9 May 1999 Richard Dreyfuss A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Books delivered to the island on a regular basis more
16 May 1999 Michael Green The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud Digital TV more
23 May 1999 Christopher Bruce Teach yourself French Suncream more
30 May 1999 Anthony Howard Dictionary of National Biography Magnifying glass more
6 June 1999 Chris Bonington History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Sir Winston Churchill Power Book G3 (laptop computer) more
13 June 1999 John Barry Eternal Echoes by John O'Donohue Grand piano more
20 June 1999 James Dyson Olive: The Life and Love of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenslum Olive oil more
27 June 1999 Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP Collected Poems of Thomas Gray Hot shower more
4 July 1999 Igor Aleksander Companions to the Mind by Richard Gregory A virtual reality London Symphony Orchestra so he can conduct it more
11 July 1999 Paddy Moloney The Book of Lempster (old Irish textbook currently in The Hague) Tin whistle more
18 July 1999 Martin Pipe Horse Management by R. S. Timmis Winning post from Cheltenham race course more
25 July 1999 Rod Steiger Complete book of poetry by e e cummings Self-contained external electric fan more
1 August 1999 Rick Stein Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Thai fish sauce more
8 August 1999 Patricia Routledge The collected works of John Donne Tea service with tea more
15 August 1999 Sir Roger Norrington The Complete Works of Thomas Hardy Chocolate more
22 August 1999 Rita Dove One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Ballroom and robotic dance instructor more
29 August 1999 Rolf Harris The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay Chisel for sculpting more
31 October 1999 Ralph Fiennes A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Pen and limited supplies of ink and paper more
7 November 1999 Willard White The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale Seeds more
19 November 1999 William Gibson The Complete Works of Jorge Luis Borges Junk yard more
21 November 1999 Clarissa Dickson Wright The Complete Works of Saki Wind-up radio more
28 November 1999 Warren Mitchell Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian Organ (from the Royal Albert Hall) more
5 December 1999 Sir Richard Sykes Origin of Species by Charles Darwin Telescope more
12 December 1999 Oz Clarke French Provincial Cookery by Elizabeth David His memory more
19 December 1999 Michael Nyman Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne Toilet more
24 December 1999 Michael Crawford The complete book of self-sufficiency by John Seymour Pen and paper more
31 December 1999 Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber England's Thousand Best Churches by Simon Jenkins Herb garden more

2000

Date Castaway Book Luxury More
info
9 January 2000 Dr. Jane Goodall The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien Pencil and paper more
16 January 2000 Ian McEwan Ulysses by James Joyce Italian leather hand-stitched hiking boots more
23 January 2000 Neil Jordan A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust Typewriter more
30 January 2000 Peter Melchett Field guide to the island Snorkel and mask more
6 February 2000 Simon Callow Dictionary Nose hair trimmer more
13 February 2000 Professor Stuart Hall Portrait of a Lady by Henry James Piano more
20 February 2000 Michael Holroyd The High Hill of the Muses (anthology by Hugh Kingsmill) Waterbed more
27 February 2000 Sheila Hancock Anything by Marcel Proust Grand piano (and music scores) more
5 March 2000 Robert McCrum Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome St. John's Wort more
12 March 2000 Colin Montgomerie Anything by Michael Crichton No luxury chosen more
19 March 2000 Al Alvarez Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud Laptop computer with poker game software more
26 March 2000 Adrian Noble The Art of Memory by Frances A Yates Wine more
2 April 2000 Harold Evans History of the American Civil War by Shelby Foote Silk pyjamas more
9 April 2000 Claire Tomalin The Diary of Samuel Pepys Garden more
16 April 2000 Sir Anthony Caro War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Glue more
23 April 2000 Leonard Slatkin Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin Wine more
30 April 2000 Sir Peter Bonfield A book on celestial navigation Windsurfer more
7 May 2000 Sir John Mills The Warden by Anthony Trollope His piano more
14 May 2000 Kathleen Turner Emma by Jane Austen Roses more
21 May 2000 Dame Norma Major Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers Solar laptop more
28 May 2000 John Bird The collected works of Wallace Stevens 2,000 soft loo rolls more
4 June 2000 Professor Géza Vermes The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus Comfortable armchair/desk more
11 June 2000 Clive James My Method of Singing by Enrico Caruso Karaoke piano more
18 June 2000 Donald Sutherland Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuckman Case of really good vintage wine more
25 June 2000 Max Perutz Origin of Species by Charles Darwin Skis more
2 July 2000 Peter Nichols His diary (which he has kept since he was 18, to relive his life since 1945) Cyanide tablet (if he can't a tower and telescope, or a full-size snooker table) more
9 July 2000 Alan Parker A giant photo album of his children and grandchildren which goes back over 20 years Watercolour paint box plus brush and paint pads more
16 July 2000 Michael Portillo Proust: Time Regained by Alain de Botton Solar-powered laptop more
23 July 2000 Sir Roger Penrose The biggest book by Michael Frayn 19-note piano more
30 July 2000 General Sir Charles Guthrie Volume 1 of biography of the Duke of Wellington – Year of the Sword by Lady Longford Surfboard more
6 August 2000 Sir Norman Wisdom Reach for the Skies by Sir Douglas Bader Pot of stew with two dumplings more
13 August 2000 Robert Swan Huge copy of The Times atlas – largest available so he can see where he has been (168 countries so far) An accountancy course more
20 August 2000 Christopher Lloyd Letters of Gustave Flaubert Syndicate whisky more
27 August 2000 Ronald Harwood Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh His bathroom more
5 November 2000 J K Rowling SAS Survival Guide Pen and unlimited paper more
19 November 2000 Des Lynam Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine Drum kit more
26 November 2000 Albie Sachs Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal Little bottle of aftershave more
3 December 2000 Tina Brown Middlemarch by George Eliot Rollercoaster more
10 December 2000 Tim Smit Book with plain pages Piano more
17 December 2000 Richard Briers Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Huge supply of Chardonnay more
24 December 2000 Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Book on how to sketch and some paper and pens more
26 December 2000 Norman Painting The Perennial Philosophy – Aldous Huxley An orrary(sic) – an electronic toy for looking at the sky more
31 December 2000 Stephen Sondheim The collected works of E. B. White Piano more

References

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