Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit

Author Lui Sit shares her experiences and how they impacted her writing of Land of the Last Wildcat.

If you told me, thirty odd years ago, when dressed as a koala doing acrobatics under the baking Australian sun, that the experience would culminate in my writing a children’s middle-grade book with underlying themes of conservation and environmental responsibility – I would have told you that the sun had gone to your head, not mine!

But in truth, my years of campaigning and fundraising (dressed as a koala) with The Wilderness Society in Perth, Western Australia was preceded by my childhood experiences in nature.

My parents both worked long hours meaning I often had to fend for myself. Being an adventurous, independent kid, I found my way into the urban bushland near my home. These patches of remnant wilderness became a haven for me. I spent hours alone exploring and playing. This fostered within me a love for wilderness and also an understanding (that as a child I could not articulate) of the importance of biodiversity, ecosystems, and that as a human species, we are part of a web of life.

Having had these experiences as a child, it was a no brainer for me when older, to become involved in an environmental campaign to cease the logging of ancient forests for woodchips in the Southwest of Western Australia. It was a key formative experience in my life. It showed me, as the famous Margaret Mead quote relays – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” It was a remarkable education in peaceful protest, non-violent direct action, commitment to a cause and holding onto hope that things could change. Also to be a part of that change rather than a witness.

These lessons learned long ago found their way into my debut middle-grade book, Land of the Last Wildcat. Originally intended to be a story focused on ten-year-old Puffin Lau and her disgruntlement over her research scientist mother, Allegra’s, frequent work absences, things started to shift when writing about Allegra’s research speciality, the kuri.

The kuri is a special breed of wildcat with healing abilities, native to a place called Linger Island. Themes of conservation, environmental sustainability practices and appropriate scientific research found their way into the story once I started exploring the how and why of the kuri’s healing abilities. Thought to be extinct in the story, Puffin finds herself meeting a kuri, falling in love with it and quickly finding out that its life is at risk.

Her mother’s boss, Professor Smoult – having captured the kuri – wants to investigate how the creature heals. His view is that if he can replicate this process synthetically, he can monetise it in the form of pharmaceuticals. Together with her best friend Lance, Puffin must act to save the wildcat from the fate that awaits it.

My experience of non-violent direct action, taking risks for a cause and hanging onto hope – all came in handy when writing about Puffin’s adventures to help save the kuri. Fundamentally Puffin discovers that the answers to her questions about the kuri’s healing power, can be found in nature. Puffin’s instincts tell her that just because something can be done in the name of research, corporate interests or development, doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be done. She realises that when we disrespect, diminish or destroy the natural world, we are only exacting that same treatment, to ourselves.

Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit and illustrated by David Dean is published with Macmillan Children’s Books and out on 1 May 2025.