Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a download from the Desert Island Discs archive.

This edition may be slightly different from what was actually broadcast, but it is the only version we have.

It comes from the British Library's radio collection.

The recording didn't contain the guest's eight music choices, so we've rebuilt the original show by using discs from the BBC Gramophone Library. For rights

reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

Full details can be found

on the castaways page on the Desert Island

Discs website. The programme

was originally broadcast in 1981

and the presenter

was Roy Plumley.

Music And the presenter was Roy Plumley. This week, our castaway is the thriller writer Jack Higgins.

Jack, could you endure isolation for a long time?

Oh, yes.

You know, people are either extrovert or introvert.

I don't know that I'm all that introverted, but I've always been a bit of a loner.

I mean, when I was a youngster, it was long country walks in the rain and that kind of thing, and my own thinking.

So there's no question about it.

I think I could endure isolation.

How much does music mean in your life?

We give you this meager allowance of eight discs.

Yes, it is a meager allowance, but after all, when cast away one can only seize upon a few available stocks of good things.

...