Lucy Irvine's Website

	Do you feel you were well prepared for desert island life?
	Psychologically, yes. I'd been a loner for a long time and the isolation didn't bother me at all. I was physically fit, too - at the beginning of the year. But we could have packed a little more in the way of emergency rations. If the Islanders hadn't rescued us we might have died. That, however, was mostly due to water shortage and no-one could predict that.

	Don't you think you were taking a big risk, going off into the blue like that?
	Looking back, I can see I was taking a lot of risks. But I didn't think much about that at the time. I had no children in those days, so no responsibilities other than to myself. It was an adventure.

What did you think of Gerald the first time you met him?

I liked him. He seemed to be an experienced traveller and I was impressed by the fact he planned to write a book about the island. The only thing that bothered me was that no island had been found at that stage. But then it became an adventure finding one together. I freely admit that I hated having to marry Gerald because the Queensland government, under whose jurisdiction Tuin island lay, refused to allow us to stay there unless we were man and wife. It seemed ridiculous, when we were to be the only people on the island and it caused terrible tensions. (See Castaway.) The film also portrays this quite well.

What did you think of the film?

The director, Nicolas Roeg, was completely honest with me even before he started making the film. He took me out to lunch and explained that the island was the perfect 'vehicle' for something he'd been wanting to make a film about for years - the relationship between an older man and a younger woman. It was never intended to be exactly like my book. I understood this so was able to watch the film without feeling too involved personally. It is an unusual film and I reckon Amanda Donohoe played a difficult part very well. Oliver Reed was great too, although I wouldn't say it was his best film. Roeg fans should definitely see it. (Video available through Amazon.com)

What was your scariest moments during the Castaway year?

I could have been scared of the big shark we caught regularly but I was more scared when, in an advanced state of malnutrition, I thought I was pregnant. I was also scared when I was poisoned by wild beans. Gerald and I knew at one stage we might not get off the island alive but we didn't discuss it other than lightly. He said he wouldn't bother eating me if I 'popped off' first because I was too scrawny.

	Would you do it again?
	Not in the same way. But I have no regrets whatsoever about the Castaway year. It was probably the most educational experience of my entire life - and a very beautiful experience, at times, too.

	What made you go and live for a year an uninhabited island with a man you hardly knew?
	I longed for a major personal challenge. I'd left home and school very young - aged 12 - and, although I travelled during my teens and felt I gleaned quite a good education that way, I lacked confidence. Also, there had been big family troubles. (See Runaway, available from Waterstones Online)