THE GOLDEN HAT:
Talking Back to Autism
KATE WINSLET
with KELI THORSTEINSSON and MARGRET ERICSDOTTIR
“A
moving, sanguine labor of love.”
--Kirkus
Reviews
Kate Winslet’s THE
GOLDEN HAT: Talking Back to Autism (Simon & Schuster; March 27, 2012; $29.95)
is a special project from the Academy Award-winning actress—a collection of one
hundred stunning self-portraits from A-list celebrities and cultural
luminaries, all wearing a “golden” hat to support autism outreach and research.
The story behind THE
GOLDEN HAT begins with Margret Ericsdottir and her 10-year-old son Keli, who
has a severe form of nonverbal autism. Margret was told that Keli would never
be able to communicate and should be institutionalized for the rest of his
life. Determined not to give up on her child, Margret embarked on a mission to
help her nonverbal son to communicate. She and Kate Winslet met during the
taping of the English narration of the Icelandic documentary A Mother’s Courage:
Talking Back to Autism, a.k.a. The Sunshine Boy. Deeply moved by the
family’s story, Kate remained in close
contact with Margret. Together, the two developed a truly innovative way to
raise awareness and funds to support autism outreach.
Inspired by one of Keli’s
poems—in which a magical “golden hat” enables an autistic boy to speak—Kate
tracked down as many of her famous friends as she could, and asked them to take
a self-portrait wearing her favorite fedora. Eager to spread the word, she
gate-crashed parties, hung out on friends’ film sets, went backstage at
theatres, sent hundreds of emails, left numerous begging phone messages, and
carried the hat on her lap to Texas, L.A., London, and Paris. The result is
this book.
THE GOLDEN HAT features one hundred
intimate and candid self-portraits by stars from film, television, music,
sports, and fashion, including George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Kobe Bryant,
Justin Timberlake, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julianne Moore, Conan O’Brien, Anna
Wintour, and many more. Taken in bathtubs and backyards, inside dressing rooms
and on movie sets, these unique snapshots give a behind-the-scenes look at the
private worlds of these very public figures.
It’s easy to take
communication for granted these days, especially in our hyper-connected,
fast-paced society. But for the millions of individuals and families living
with nonverbal autism, the inability to communicate is an everyday reality. THE
GOLDEN HAT celebrates the power of self-expression and the importance of
connection. Celebrity contributors were asked, “If you were unable to
communicate your entire life until
now, what would be your first words?” Each thoughtful and revealing response is
alongside their gorgeous full-color photograph. Also included are the deeply
moving “first words” from contributors with nonverbal autism as well as Keli’s
beautiful poetry and Kate and Margret’s personal recollections and e-mail
correspondence.
THE GOLDEN HAT is more than a book - it
is a passion project that came to life through one hundred top celebrities and one
very well-traveled hat. It reminds us that we are all equal, from the biggest
Hollywood star to the quietest kid in school, and that we all want the same
thing—to be heard and respected.
Author proceeds will
benefit the Golden Hat Foundation, founded by Kate Winslet and Margret Ericsdottir
to build innovative living campuses for people with autism and to raise public
awareness about their intellectual capabilities.
About the Authors
KATE WINSLET is one of
the world’s best-known and best-loved actresses, and the winner of numerous
awards including the Academy, BAFTA, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors
Guild awards. She met Margret Ericsdottir while recording the English language
narration for Margret’s documentary, A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to Autism
(aka The Sunshine Boy). With her two children, Mia and Joe, Kate
divides her time between New York City and the UK
MARGRET DAGMAR
ERICSDOTTIR earned an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology before
founding Frontier Filmworks, an Icelandic film production company dedicated to
making films that can have a real and lasting impact on our world. She is the
producer of the documentary A Mother’s Courage: Talking Back to
Autism (a.k.a. The Sunshine Boy), the story of her struggle to communicate
with her nonverbal son Keli. Margret is the President of the Golden Hat
Foundation and a director, along with
Kate Winslet. She divides her time between Texas
and Iceland
KELI THORSTEINSSON was
born in 1997—the youngest of three brothers; he is now 14. He has “severe”
autism and is nonverbal. He has learned to communicate by pointing to letters
on a "letterboard.” Using this technique, he expresses himself through the
words and poetry featured in this book. Keli has a passion for music and
literature; his tastes range from Beethoven to the Beatles, and his favorite
novel is Huckleberry Finn. His hobbies include swimming, bowling and
movies. In short, Keli is a very typical
teenage boy, with aspirations and dreams of his own. Keli and his family divide
their time between Iceland
and Texas
About the Book
THE GOLDEN HAT: Talking
Back to Autism
By Kate Winslet with
Keli Thorsteinsson and Margret Ericsdottir
Publisher: Simon &
Schuster
Publication Date: March
27, 2012
Price: $29.95
ISBN-13:
978-1-4516-4543-1
Learn
more about the Golden Hat Foundation at www.goldenhatfoundation.org
Visit Simon & Schuster online at www.simonandschuster.com
