What You Need to Be Warm

In times of cold and turmoil, it’s easy to forget that the most important thing for some people is warmth. As winter descends, being warm means many things, and it takes on many guises. This small but powerful work attempts to capture the feeling of being warm and what it means to those facing a cold winter. It seeks to offer hope in times of conflict and displacement and remind people of the value in the necessities for those who lack them.

What You Need to Be Warm: A Poem of Welcome is a beautiful collaboration between the incredible Neil Gaiman and many illustrators. Every page is a feast for the eyes to accompany the poem that Gaiman wove from the replies of thousands of people who answered his question about their memories of being warm. And in the end, readers get to hear from the thirteen artists who contributed to this unique book about why they drew what they drew.

As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR the UN Refugee Agency, Neil Gaiman reminds readers about not just the physical importance of being warm, but also the value of helping newcomers feel accepted, and how that is a warmth all its own.