This week we caught up with BBC broadcaster, journalist and writer Sally Magnusson, who has written a children's book starring a haggis! Sally and her TV producer husband Norman Stone, who illustrated the book, will be appearing at the Edinburgh Book Festival on Saturday 25th August, together with the book's star Horace the Haggis. 

What made you decide to write a children's book?
I have five children and when they were younger we all sat down and came up with the sort of story they enjoyed - full of fun characters, laughs and a little bit of fear.
 
What gave you the inspiration to write the book with the main character as a haggis?
The book was inspired by the animals who live around us in the Scottish countryside, but I needed a character to come in from the outside and be a little bit different.  The idea of a haggis as a live animal is a Scottish joke, of course, but it's the best we can do for a legendary creature as not many unicorns have been spotted north of Hadrian's Wall. I enjoyed dreaming up how a haggis might look, getting away from the three-legged caricature which I thought was a bit dated.
 
Tell us about the magpies on twitter?
When I first wrote the story a few years ago, I had Stacey and Tracey Magpie saving the day by texting each other.  I wanted the story to feel up to date and funny.  By the time the book was about to be published, we realized that communicating on Twitter would be even more up to date and, for a couple of birds, much more funny. 

Do you like entertaining at home, and if so, what is your signature dish?
I'm not much of a cook, as my long-suffering children will tell you.  My signature dish is probably pasta with a tomato and garlic sauce made in about five minutes flat.

Do you think the book will help make the haggis famous worldwide?
Wouldn't that be fun?  I have plans for Horace to visit America in a future book, so you never know.

We have a signed copy of Horace and the Haggis Hunter to give away, visit the Win Things page of our website to enter.

Have you got a clever idea for a children's book starring a haggis? Send us your thoughts via