“Christmas at Hogwarts” Illustrator Ziyi Gao Discusses the Inspiration Behind the Illustrations

Get ready for a magical Christmas because the new illustrated book Christmas at Hogwarts is coming this fall, and a recent interview with the book’s illustrator, Ziyi Gao, tells us how she brought it to life. 

Containing 48 pages, the book shows us Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts, with text inspired by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and full-color artwork by Gao, who graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2021 before beginning her career as an artist.

“Christmas at Hogwarts” illustrator Ziyi Gao (Credit: Jacelyn Shu/Wizarding World Digital)

Gao is a Ravenclaw, describing herself as “very curious.” She loves reading and learning, and she values original ideas and creativity. Not surprisingly, Gao is also a lover of all things Potter. 

My parents bought me the first four Harry Potter books when they first came out, but I was a five-year-old kid then living in Beijing and could not understand such a complex story. The books were stored away on our bookshelves for a few years before I rediscovered them when I was 14. I was immediately drawn to these stories and became a huge fan throughout my entire middle and high school years.

Gao describes the Potter series as “relatable” for young people growing up.

I like that this series talks about the hardships of growing up, how to become a better person, and how to deal with losing loved ones through the lens of magic.  

Admitting that she was “so surprised and couldn’t believe it was real” when she was approached by Scholastic about the project, Gao said she had to double check to make sure it wasn’t a scam.

The cover of the book depicts the decorated Great Hall in all its yuletide glory.

After discovering her interest in illustration after drawing Potter fan art while still at school, Gao describes being given the opportunity to illustrate Christmas at Hogwarts as a “dream come true.”

While reading Harry Potter, I had so many images in my head, and I would often make illustrations of those scenes. Though my drawing at that time might be clumsy, I found the whole process very enjoyable. Now, after all these years of practice, I feel so fortunate and happy to have the opportunity to become an illustrator for this series.

Her process of preparing to illustrate the book included visiting bookstores and researching picture books, in particular Christmas books, and The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac was used as a reference for inspiration.

I researched famous illustrators for the Harry Potter series, such as Jim Kay, Mary GrandPré, Thomas Taylor, etc. After that, I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone once again to immerse myself in this world. I also researched Christmas traditions in the UK while working on the sketches.

Gao’s favorite illustration from the book is the scene where Fred and George try to force Ron and Percy to wear their Weasley jumpers. 

I was very satisfied with how it came out because it was such a happy and chaotic moment. I’ve never done anything like this before, with so much lively character interaction depicted in one image.

A spread from the book shows the Weasleys in their Weasley jumpers.

When asked if she included any special details in the book, Gao brought up Harry’s animal companion.

Even though she’s not mentioned in the text, Hedwig appears in the first three illustrations, giving us a bird’s-eye view of Hogwarts, then getting closer, and finally landing on a branch outside where Harry is in a lesson. This felt like a cute detail, and I had to include Hedwig! 

Gao hopes Christmas at Hogwarts will be “an immersive experience” for readers. 

I’ve spent lots of time and energy depicting the world, making it as real and specific as possible. I hope readers will feel the happiness and holiday spirits, taste the delicious food at Hogwarts, enjoy the snowball fights with Harry and his friends, and fall in love with this magical world that I fell in love with years ago. 

Christmas at Hogwarts is being released globally on October 15 in 31 languages. It’s available to pre-order via Bloomsbury if you’re in the United Kingdom and through Scholastic in the United States.