Ben Smoke
The Channel crossings: your guide to the so-called ‘crisis’
All you need to know — Since Christmas Day, 100 people have crossed the English Channel seeking refuge and asylum in what is being called a ‘major’ national crisis. Writer Ben Smoke talks us through the mess.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Brexit unpacked: your bullshit-free guide to the current mess
What is happening? — While it’s easy to switch off, Brexit will shape British politics, and our lives, for a generation – so we owe it to ourselves not to clock out. Writer Ben Smoke talks us through the mess.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The complicated truth behind ‘cry for help’ overdoses
Desperate measures — As UK hospitals suffer from spiralling funding and dwindling resources, it can be hard to feel heard. For writer Ben Smoke, this desperation led to drastic action.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The woman turning beatboxing into a fierce political movement
Savage Grace — UK champion Grace Savage is turning the male-dominated beatboxing scene on its head, turning beats and lyrics into revolutionary new weaponry.
Written by: Ben Smoke
This year I learnt... that reaching out about my mental health saved my life
What 2017 taught me — It might sound cliché to say we need to 'talk about' mental health. Certainly talking alone won't solve the crisis. But for Ben Smoke, 2017 was the year in which learning to reach out might well have helped a disaster be avoided.
Written by: Ben Smoke
It has been 5 years since my first suicide attempt – here's why I celebrate it
Fireworks in the sky — By defiantly commemorating the day he attempted to take his own life, Ben Smoke has a chance to embrace his life while also calling people to action. With LGBTQ young people almost five times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts there’s no time to waste.
Written by: Ben Smoke