Kim Wall’s reporting gave voice to the voiceless

Today would have been Kim Wall’s 34th birthday. What would she be reporting if she were alive? Rebecca Banovic recalls a journalist who left a legacy more valuable than words

Kim lived and worked in India (Kim Memorial Fund)

Kim Wall’s story, like her writing, is full of compassion, unwavering courage and determination. She lived a life of adventure, travel, rewarding work and brilliant friends. A journalist to her core, Kim was intelligent and formidable. Only in hindsight do we see how mighty her pen was. 

“If Kim can act as a role model for other people, that really makes a difference,” Ingrid Wall, Kim’s mother, tells me. “Just seeing the reaction of youngsters, who didn’t even know her, is very touching. They say they want to follow in her footsteps by writing articles and poetry,” says Ingrid smiling, remembering her daughter. 

Kim’s story started in Trelleborg in southern Sweden. A pleasant and tight-knit seaside town, known for its many ferry routes, Trelleborg was a comfortable place to grow up.