Writing Podcast Episode 698: Emma Sloley welcomes you to 'The Island of Last Things'

When was the last time you visited a zoo? Well, now imagine you're visiting the last zoo on Earth and you have the premise for Emma Sloley's new book, The Island of Last Things . In this episode, Emma shares the inspiration, research and publishing experience for this book and some of the larger themes this piece of fiction evokes. 00:00 Welcome 04:10 Writing tip: Aim for rejections! 08:30 WIN!: Tom Clancy Executive Power by Andrews & Wilson 11:22 Word of the week: 'Pelf' 11:56 Writer in residence: Emma Sloley 13:03 What is The Island of Last Things about? 13:50 How Emma got the idea for the book 16:00 Discussing the term 'climate fiction' 19:00 Researching Alcatraz for the book 21:37 Gathering insights from zookeepers 24:19 Transition to American characters 25:35 Publishing journey and agent experiences 28:34 Editing process with agents and editors 31:34 Balancing writing and travel 34:39 Current writing projects 38:40 Tips for aspiring writers 41:06 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

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Writing Podcast Episode 698: Emma Sloley welcomes you to 'The Island of Last Things' is an episode from So You Want To Be A Writer with Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait: Australian Writers' Centre podcast by Australian Writers' Centre.

This episode is 45:21 long.

This episode was published on Jan 5, 2026.

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