In 2025 Heidi was featured in 'The Pebbles', a collection of photograophic portraits curated by journalist, Elizabeth Filippouli and photographer, Sebastian Böttcher. See: THE PEBBLES

Each subject is photographed with a pebble that means something to them.

"A pebble gets smoothed, polished and even more beautiful through adversity. Similarly, every woman is shaped by the challenges she faces and the wins she scores, carving her own unique identity and beauty."

The Pebbles Metaphor

According to Elizabeth and Sebastian:

"Pebbles charm us with their smoothness, colours, the playful sounds they make. They begin as jagged rocks, and they are softened by the ocean’s force. These beautiful small stones, ground us and remind us of our connection to Mother Earth. Pebbles embody stories, memories, connections. 

"Pebbles symbolize persistence, transformation over time, solidity, healing, inner peace, stability, strength, resilience, luck, longevity.

"A pebble gets smoothed, polished and even more beautiful through adversity. Similarly, every woman is shaped by the challenges she faces and the wins she scores, carving her own unique identity and beauty.

"A pebble drops into a pond and creates ripples. It disrupts the water's surface, transferring energy to the water molecules. These expanding circles illustrate the large impact that even tiny actions can have. ‘The Pebbles Project’ consists of narratives of ripple-making women from around the world. Women who are disruptors and whose missions contribute towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

"As part of the portrait sitting every woman is photographed with an analogue camera holding her own unique pebble in her hand, a gesture symbolizing a journey of self-exploration and the connection to her inner energy. We encourage the visitor to look closely into the intricate beauty of each pebble."

‘The Pebbles Project’ is based on an idea by writer and social entrepreneur Elizabeth Filippouli and is a collaborative project together with photographer Sebastian Böttcher.

Heidi stated

“I know you can’t change the world, but I believe we have a responsibility to keep trying, now more than ever, in this interconnected world of rising populism and misinformation. That’s not why I wrote my book or my articles, but I hope that by changing some minds, opening some eyes, and teaching some lessons, we might create a better world… one pebble at a time.”

Heidi Kingstone – Journalist

Heidi Kingstone is a journalist who has reported from many countries, writing about people and issues for major publications.  Her first book, Dispatches from the Kabul Cafe, was about her time in Afghanistan. Her latest book, Genocide: Personal Stories, Big Questions, chronicles 20th and 21st-century genocide,  a subject she never expected to be quite so topical.

She was photographed at her home and the Imperial War Museum.