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Desert Island Discs

Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

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

Desert Island Discs: J G Ballard

02/02/1992

J G Ballard

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, J G Ballard

Sue Lawley's castaway is writer J G Ballard

Sue Lawley's castaway is writer J G Ballard.

This week's Desert Island Discs castaway is writer JG Ballard. Since the early 1960s, he has been well-known as a science fiction writer. But more recently he has reached an even wider audience with his autobiographical novels Empire of the Sun and The Kindness of Women.

He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his extraordinary life - his childhood in Shanghai, his adolescence spent in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp and how, after the sudden and tragic death of his wife, he raised his three young children alone.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] 

Favourite track: Falling In Love Again by Marlene Dietrich
Book: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Luxury: Unicycle

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics. Over 900 programmes, as broadcast from 1946 – 2004.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: Events of 1991

Events of 1991

BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, Events of 1991

A review of the major news stories of 1991 by Alistair Cooke.

Following a recent opinion poll on the significance of the major events of 1991, Alistair Cooke looks back on the previous year and examines the top American choices on the list.

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