Desert Island Discs

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs claims to be the highest-paid woman journalist in Britain - one of a disappearing species. The star columnist Jean Rook has shared her life for eighteen years with the millions of readers of her national newspaper column. And it's been life that has embraced tragedy as well as triumph - over the last three years she has written in her column about her experiences of breast cancer and widowhood. She'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the ups and downs of her life and career.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Eton Boating Song by Eton College Book: Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy Luxury: Computer

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is the General Director of the English National Opera Peter Jonas. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his teenage ambition to run a great opera house, his subsequent rejection from the London Coliseum when he applied to sweep the stage there, and his return as its director some 11 years later. He'll also be talking about his fight against Hodgkin's Disease, his eleven years as personal and administrative assistant to Sir Georg Solti in Chicago and his plans for the future of the English National Opera.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Die Meistersinger Act 1 Prelude by Richard Wagner Book: City of God by Saint Augustine Luxury: Cyanide, in a joint, in champagne truffle, in a fridge

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is the man who can be credited with having made knitting glamorous. Designer and knitter Kaffe Fassett will be talking to Sue Lawley about the inspiration for his extraordinary bold and simple designs which have brought him fame and fortune the world over, and also waxing lyrical over the colours and patterns he uses, which reflect Byzantine carpets, Roman glass or just simple fruit, vegetables and shells. He'll also be talking about his bohemian childhood in California and the route which turned him into an Anglophile and led him to an exhibition of his work at the Victoria and Albert Museum.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Vespers by Claudio Monteverdi Book: Reflections by Hermann Hesse Luxury: Diary and pen

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is one of the country's most expensive and sought-after barristers - George Carman QC. A virtuoso of the courtroom, he has made his name successfully defending the famous - from former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe to well-known show business names like Peter Adamson, Maria Aitken and Ken Dodd. He will be talking to Sue Lawley about his perception of the key to successful advocacy and making a definitive judgement on the eight records he would take to his desert island.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Violin Concerto in D Major by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: The Golden Treasury by Francis Palgrave Luxury: Painting Of Grand Canal In Venice"

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is theatrical impresario Harold Fielding. The name behind a dazzling array of hit musicals like Half A Sixpence, Charlie Girl, Sweet Charity and Barnum, his failures have been nearly as spectacular as his successes - his production of Ziegfeld crashed two years ago, making a loss of more than two million pounds, and this year his new musical with Petula Clark had to close early. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the highs and lows of show business life and about the stars he has looked after, such as Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich and Ginger Rogers, to name but a few.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Piano Concerto in A Minor - Opening by Robert Schumann Book: Great Murder Trials of 20th Century by Sir David Napley Luxury: Large bag of sugar

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is novelist Maeve Binchy. During her Catholic childhood in a small Irish village, she nurtured an ambition, not just to lead a life of religious devotion, but to become a saint. Later on, she aspired to the legal profession, where her horizons stretched far beyond barristers and briefs to, at the very least, Chief Justice of Ireland. But it was ultimately as a writer that Maeve Binchy achieved enormous success, with novels like Light a Penny Candle and many others making her name as one of the most successful popular authors of her time. She'll be talking to Sue Lawley about her childhood in Ireland, the loss of her religious faith and her ultimate success as an author of popular fiction.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: The Brendan Theme by Liam O'Flynn Book: Teach Yourself Bridge Luxury: Photograph album

Tickling sticks, diddy men, Knotty Ash - all these can mean but one thing: that this week's Desert Island Discs castaway is comedian Ken Dodd. Though his professional debut took place some 36 years ago, Mr Dodd still proclaims himself a mere spring chicken of 35 or, at a pinch, 36. As befits most jesters, he has had his share of troubles along with the laughter. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his library of books on humour, the loyalty of his audience through good and bad times and his early years in Knotty Ash, where he still lives in his childhood home.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: For The Good Times by Perry Como Book: Times Atlas of the World Luxury: A box of scented soap

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is a politician. Elected to Sheffield City Council at the age of 22, he went on to become its leader for seven years, after which he made the smooth and successful transition to Parliament, where he now sits on the opposition front bench as local government spokesman. Beside him sits his guide dog Offa, because David Blunkett has been blind since birth.He will be talking to Sue Lawley about his struggles to get his 'O' and 'A' Levels and eventually his degree, his time in local and now national politics and the many problems he has overcome to reach his present position.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Book: Anthology of Verse by Robert Graves Luxury: Radio/cassette machine

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is actor Jonathan Pryce. Since the early 1970s, he has taken on many guises and received many plaudits. He was called the new Brando when he appeared on Broadway, and his Shakespearian roles - Hamlet and Macbeth - elicited comparisons with the late Lord Olivier. Most recently, he has diversified from classical roles, feature films and television plays to take a new path with an all-singing, award-winning performance in the West End's biggest hit of the year - Miss Saigon. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his accidental entry into the acting world and the pitfalls and pleasures of his profession.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Cello Quintet In C by Franz Schubert Book: Short Stories by Bernard MacLaverty Luxury: Endless supply of rum punch

The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs is one of the most highly acclaimed writers of today. The author of Good Behaviour, Time After Time and Loving and Giving, she began writing in the early 20s using the pseudonym MJ Farrell to conceal her identity from her sporting friends in Ireland, where she was born and grew up. It was a world of snobbery and decaying aristocracy which she portrays in her books with excruciating accuracy. Then, after a period in the early 50s as a successful playwright, she fell silent, to emerge 25 years later under her real name, Molly Keane, and went on to achieve huge success and literary recognition. Now 86, she'll be talking to Sue Lawley about her childhood, her books and her Ireland.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Greensleeves by James Galway Book: A bound copy of the Spectator magazines Luxury: A bed, netted from snakes and flies