Les Murray

Sue Lawley's castaway this morning is the Australian poet Les Murray. He began writing when he realised that poetry didn't have to be about daffodils in a far off English field but could reflect the world around him; from the sheep and cows on the family farm, to the wallabies in the outback. His most powerful subject though, is his own depression which has dogged him for more than 50 years.

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

Favourite track: La Valse a Mille Temps by Jacques Brel Book: Blank, lined book Luxury: Marble four-poster bed