The castaway in this week's Desert Island Discs claims to be the highest-paid woman journalist in Britain - one of a disappearing species. The star columnist Jean Rook has shared her life for eighteen years with the millions of readers of her national newspaper column. And it's been life that has embraced tragedy as well as triumph - over the last three years she has written in her column about her experiences of breast cancer and widowhood. She'll be talking to Sue Lawley about the ups and downs of her life and career.

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

Favourite track: Eton Boating Song by Eton College
Book: Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
Luxury: Computer