Alice Thomas Ellis

Alice Thomas Ellis

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 29, 1998 Duration: 33:55

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the novelist Alice Thomas Ellis.

A devout and traditional Catholic, she didn't begin writing until she was 42. The Sin Eater, that first novel, was her reaction to the changes in the Catholic Church after Vatican Two and channelled her anger at what she saw as the excesses of the 1960s. She's a woman of apparent contradictions. She wanted to be a nun, but fell in love and became a mother of seven instead. She's deeply religious but believes in ghosts and the supernatural and although her books are often triggered by anger, they are frequently tender and full of humour.

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

Favourite track: Rorate Caeli Desuper by Monks & Choirboys or Downside Abbey Book: Come Hither - An Anthology by Walter de la Mare Luxury: A very comfortable sofa


The archived conversations from Desert Island Discs: Archive 1996-2000 offer a unique portal into a specific era, capturing the cultural and personal landscapes of the late twentieth century through a timeless format. This curated collection from BBC Radio 4 presents the original, unedited interviews, allowing listeners to hear the candid reflections of notable guests as they selected the eight pieces of music they would take with them into isolation. The choices themselves become a compelling narrative device, revealing unexpected passions, pivotal life moments, and the soundtracks to both private struggles and public triumphs. Within this podcast, the discussion naturally expands beyond mere musical preference, touching on themes of memory, identity, and resilience. Each episode is more than an interview; it is a biographical sketch painted in sound, where a chosen symphony or pop song can unlock a story of loss, love, or revelation. These archived sessions provide a raw and intimate listening experience, free from contemporary edits or updates, preserving the original tone and context of conversations with figures from the worlds of arts, politics, science, and society. Tuning into this archive is an act of historical listening, where the desert island premise becomes a profound catalyst for self-disclosure and a lasting study of the human condition through the universal language of music.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Desert Island Discs: Archive 1996-2000
Podcast Episodes
Anthony Minghella [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:18
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the playwright and film director Anthony Minghella. He grew up on the Isle of Wight in a close-knit family of Italian descent, and says that he has never felt truly English. It is not s…
John Julius Norwich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:34
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the broadcaster and popular historian, John Julius Norwich. Closely associated with Venice, he talks about his love for the city and his battle to protect it from the rising waters of t…
Richard Mabey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:52
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the naturalist and writer Richard Mabey. A romantic at heart, he regrets that so much written about nature these days concentrates on the scientific. Unlike past writers like WH Hudson…
Richard Rodney Bennett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:17
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the composer and performer Richard Rodney Bennett. A versatile musician, he is equally at home playing jazz, writing film scores or composing for the concert hall. He wants to give perf…
Rose Tremain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:00
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the novelist Rose Tremain. She began writing as a child soon after her father left home. It became a kind of therapy for her and she explains it's something she still turns to, especial…
Jools Holland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:54
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the musician and presenter Jools Holland. He first shot into the public eye when he made what he still calls "a bit of a verbal slip", and used a four-letter word on the teenage music s…
Peter O'Sullevan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
Sue Lawley's castaway this week has been the voice of racing for half a century. Due to retire in November 1997, Peter O'Sullevan calculates that he has commentated on some 14,000 races. After calling his last Grand Nati…
Mike Leigh OBE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:07
The castaway on Desert Island Discs this week is the filmmaker and director Mike Leigh. He first came to public attention on a dark and stormy evening when 16 million people tuned to BBC1 to watch his film Abigail's Part…
Ursula Owen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:26
Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the editor and publisher, Ursula Owen. Twenty-five years ago she helped create Virago - the feminist publishing house which promotes women writers. A huge success, it became the focus o…

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