Kate Winslet authors book for autism

New York - Actress Kate Winslet will author a book of celebrity self-portrait photos by Ben Stiller, Jude Law, Meryl Streep and others to support autism that will be released later this year, Simon & Schuster said on Thursday.

Winslet organised the collection of self-portrait photos for the book titled The Golden Hat after becoming inspired by an HBO documentary she narrated called A Mother's Courage: Talking Back To Autism that aired last year.

Special hats

The film shows Keli Ericsdottir, an Icelandic boy who suffered from severe non-verbal autism, eventually being able to communicate. He now composes poems, including one describing a magical hat that enables an autistic boy to communicate. The book derives its name from Ericsdottir's poem.

Winslet asked more than two dozen celebrities to take a self-portrait photo wearing one special hat that was passed along. Other well-known figures in the book include comedian Ricky Gervais, tennis player Maria Sharapova, singer Christina Aguilera and actresses Naomi Watts and Julianne Moore.

Proceeds from the book's profits will benefit Winslet's autism charity The Golden Hat Foundation.