Simon & Schuster will publish The Golden Hat, a book by Oscar-winner Kate Winslet that will feature self-portraits of celebrities and other notable persons, including Winslet herself, all wearing a “magical” hat. The title and concept were inspired by a poem by Keli Ericsdottir, a boy suffering from a severe case of non-verbal autism whom Winslet met while narrating the documentary A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism. The poem describes a hat that enables an autistic boy to communicate with others.

Winslet’s book tells the story of her friendship with the Ericsdottir family and includes Keli’s poetry and writings. The photographed celebrities will each reflect on what their first words would be if they were suddenly able to communicate after years of silence. The list of celebrities who will be donning the magic hat includes Anna Wintour, Ben Stiller, Brigitte Lacombe, Christina Aguilera, David Souffan, Demi Moore, Don Cheadle, Elijah Wood, Ellen Page, Javier Bardem, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Laura Dern, Liev Schreiber, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Sharapova, Marion Cottillard, Meryl Streep, Michael Kors, Naomi Watts, Pedro Almodovar, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ricky Gervais. The book is planned for November 2011.

Source: EW