Island Dreams

Poet Gwyneth Lewis explores the idea of the island and island life, and the ways in which it continues to capture the British imagination.

She uses drama, talks and documentary from the BBC audio archive to illustrate its appeal

Expect everything from reality TV programmes to Desert Island Discs and the Shipping Forecast.

She also cites the many instances of island settings in classic literature, including Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, Peter Pan and Lord of the Flies.

Including contributions from:

* Literary critic, Dame Gillian Beer
* Historian, Robert Colls
* A group of people who tried to set up an island utopia in the 1960s
* The very last man to leave the island of St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides

Producer: Faith Lawrence

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2009.