Main content

Robinson Crusoe

4 Extra Debut. Real-life castaway Lucy Irvine nominates Robinson Crusoe. With Martin Popplewell. Presented by Matthew Parris. From July 2019.

Was Robinson Crusoe real? According to the book it was 'written by himself'.

To establish the facts, Matthew Parris is joined by two notable desert island survivors to discuss Crusoe’s life and strange adventures, during 28 years on an uninhabited island near the mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque.

Crusoe's nominator is Lucy Irvine, who spent a year on Tuin Island with a man called Gerald. Her exploits resulted in a book and a film called ‘Castaway’. The second guest is journalist Martin Popplewell, who was inspired as a teenager to try desert island life by Brooke Shields in the film ‘The Blue Lagoon’.

As Martin points out, "There's no mention in the entire Crusoe book of coconuts" in this entertaining dissection of both Crusoe and his creator, Daniel Defoe.

Producer: Miles Warde

Produced in Bristol and first broadcast on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 in July 2019.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 2 Oct 2022 05:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 30 Jul 2019 16:30
  • Fri 2 Aug 2019 23:00
  • Thu 29 Sep 2022 18:30
  • Fri 30 Sep 2022 00:30
  • Sat 1 Oct 2022 07:30
  • Sat 1 Oct 2022 17:30
  • Sun 2 Oct 2022 05:30

Great Rock and Roll Lives

Great Rock and Roll Lives

Stories of inspiration from great musicians from Bowie to Billie Holliday

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Podcast