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ON NOW : PM
23/05/2013

PM Full coverage and analysis of the day's news.

Presented byKirsty Young

Desert Island Discs Presenter Kirsty Young

Kathleen Hale

Kathleen Hale

Broadcast

First broadcast: Sun 30 Oct 1994

Illustrator, Children's writer

The castaway this week in Desert Island Discs is the writer and illustrator Kathleen Hale. Mainly renowned for that hero of children's literature - Orlando, the Marmalade Cat - and now 96 years old, she'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the excitement and glamour of her bohemian girlhood after the First World War. As secretary to the painter Augustus John, she lived a turbulent but fascinating life at the heart of artistic London.

Marriage and motherhood introduced stability into her life, but boredom with the children's books then on offer led her to create Orlando - the cat who went on to star in 18 beautifully-illustrated and charmingly-written books - considered by many to be the epitome of good children's literature.

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

Choices

La Principal De Perelada

4.

Castaway's favourite

La Principal De Perelada

La Sardana De Les Monges

Anton Karas

5.

Anton Karas

The Cafe Mozart Waltz

Others who chose this artist

Chiraz

6.

Chiraz

Khitay!

James Galway

7.

James Galway

Annie's Song

Orchestra: The National Philharmonic Orchestra

Others who chose this artist

Johann Sebastian Bach

8.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 - Fugue in C major

Soloist: Glenn Gould

Others who chose this artist

Book

A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust

Others who chose this author

Luxury item

A gilabra (cloak of gold)

Others who chose a similar luxury

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