Desert Island Discs
Peter Layton appears on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs
Listen to the full episode here
Image credit BBC
Peter Layton appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs on Sunday 7 June, in conversation with Lauren Laverne.
Over the course of the programme, Peter shared the eight pieces of music that have accompanied him through a remarkable life: his family's escape from Prague in 1939 on one of the last trains out, a childhood in Bradford, his discovery of glass in America during the sixties, and the founding of London Glassblowing in 1976, fifty years ago this year.
In the days since the broadcast, we've been truly touched by the many lovely comments and messages we've received, from longstanding friends of the studio and from listeners discovering Peter's story for the first time. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch.
If you missed the programme, the recording is available now on BBC Sounds.
Our Stories
Women in Glass
London Glassblowing invites applications from UK-based women working in glass to take part in Women in Glass, a group exhibition opening in September 2027 to coincide with the studio's celebration of Peter Layton's ninetieth birthday. We are pleased to welcome back Cathryn Shilling, London Glassblowing's gallery curator from 2010 to 2019, who returns as guest curator for this special exhibition.
A Bermondsey Street Collaboration
Renowned glass artist and founder of London Glassblowing, Peter Layton, has collaborated with old friend and celebrity chef, José Pizarro, to create 30 limited-edition platters, launching on 12 October, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of José Pizarro on Bermondsey Street and the 50th anniversary of London Glassblowing.
The Alchemist at Work: An Interview with Peter Layton
For Peter Layton's solo exhibition, our Marketing and Sales Assistant Eva sat down with Peter to talk about alchemy - from his birth in Prague, a city steeped in alchemical history, to the alchemy he finds in glass itself. Read on to hear how Peter revisited his earlier works for this exhibition, and why he chose to return to the dangerous iridising process.