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Ian Kalman obituary

December 01 2024
The Stand Up Speak Out podcast © Ian Kalman The Stand Up Speak Out podcast © Ian Kalman

Colleagues of Ian’s at the magazine remember and pay tribute to him


In October 2024 Ian Kalman, a veteran reporter at the Pavement, passed away, following a spell of health problems. For this obituary, the magazine has printed some words from people involved with the Pavement who knew him well.


“Ian Kalman was so welcoming when I became editor of the Pavement in 2017. Soon I met him and the magazine’s other talented writers at the Groundswell offices in Brixton regularly. Ian had a real passion for theatre, particularly Cardboard Citizens. He also generously shared his tech wisdom with the mag, ranging from best apps, to ways of formulating a password and then went on to make his own podcast. For many issues, Ian shared ways to help people with homelessness experience cope with bureaucracy – especially older readers. His useful columns range from coping with the slow move to Universal Credit to how to cope with the boredom of lockdown (and all can still be read on the Pavement website).

“As editor I remember meeting him at a homelessness film festival at Elephant & Castle; encouraging me to go to Cardboard Citizen’s interactive version of Cathy Come Home and exchanging piles of the Pavement at Blackfriars Station during the 2020 lockdown. Listening to Ian’s questions about homelessness – in person and in print – made it clear he was proud to be part of the Pavement writing team. He was also on the National Advisory Panel that reports to government about ways to end homelessness. It’s very sad to lose Ian Kalman – such a wise, kind voice.”
- Nicola Baird, previous editor of the Pavement


“I met Ian on the first day I came into contact with the Pavement. We were both on a course to learn about storytelling. That was about eight years ago and since then I've bumped into Ian on countless occasions. He was incredibly proactive and caring, always finding ways to get involved and share his unique brand of humour that he honed as a stand-up comedian. He's written pieces, poems and produced podcasts among a load of other stuff. He was a kind man and above all a unique individual who was motivated by a desire to change people's lives for the better.”
- Mat Amp, deputy editor


“Ian was valued at the Pavement for his humour and kindness. He could hold his own on a huge range of issues, but his journalism for us was proper storytelling, revealing the real people behind cold facts.”
- Val Stevenson, trustee


“I had the great pleasure of working with Ian since 2017. He had the canny ability of putting his mind to something and getting it done. Ian loved to discuss ideas with people who are experts in their field, he was constantly on the phones, texts and emails, reaching out to prospective interviewees. So successful was he in this endeavour that he started a podcast involving long-form interviews.

“Persistent, persuasive and ultimately an extremely engaging conversationalist, Ian could no doubt have convinced a monk who’d undertaken a vow of silence to hop on his podcast and natter away for an hour or two. He was comfortable talking about any topic, but he was a genuine expert in the fields of theatre, Tottenham Hotspur and homelessness.

“One of Ian’s greatest passions was shining a light on the plight of homeless people. Having experienced homelessness himself, Ian approached the topic with empathy and righteous anger. Like the best writers, he wrote how he spoke: acerbic, uncompromising and witty. Ian was determined to help others who found themselves homeless. Reading back through some of the articles he wrote for the magazine, it struck me how many pieces were focused on sharing practical, vital support and advice.

“That’s the Ian I’ll remember: helpful, kind-hearted and a dear friend to everyone at the Pavement.”

- Jake Cudsi, editor

  • Ian’s writing can be found on the Pavement website, where back issues can be downloaded for free www.thepavement.org.uk
  • Ian hosted a weekly podcast, inviting a range of experts – including many involved with the homeless community – to speak about the projects they work on. You can listen back to every episode of Stand Up Speak Out UK on this website: www.buzzsprout.com/2273586/episodes
  • Thank you to Frank Pittal, a good friend of Ian’s, who organised a funeral service Jake and Nicola were honoured to attend.
< Asking not begging Issue 153: Comics >
December 2024 – January 2025 : Solidarity

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