Hello.
My name is Ben Smoke, I’m a journalist, editor and campaigner from London. This is my website.
I’ve been working as a journalist for the last decade. I first started writing and publishing publicly as a way of highlighting my campaigning and activism work. In 2015 I helped found Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants and in 2017 was one of 15 people who broke into Stansted airport to blockade a deportation flight (an action that resulted in a conviction for terror related offences which, thankfully, was later overturned on appeal).
Since then I have written and reported extensively on social movements, labour struggles, elections, global conferences, the pandemic, war, economic, and ecological crisis. I’ve investigated misuse of Covid funds, abuse and neglect of asylum seeking people, union busting, corruption and more. I’ve reported live on the ground from the biggest movements of our time including Black Lives Matter, Kill the Bill and the climate movement.
I’ve also written extensively about mental health, sexual assault, homelessness, class, queerness and the realities of life for Gypsy, Romany and Travelling people in the UK (all of which I have first hand experience of).
For the past five years I was at Huck in various roles including 18 months as Digital Editor. Here I wrote widely on culture, music, film, sport, and activism interviewing some of the biggest names across each area. I commissioned talented and world class writers, photographers and creators from across the globe to cover everything from conkers championships in Peckham to the realities of life as an Afghan Asylum seeker trying to find refuge in Europe.
I was editorial lead across groundbreaking series such as Say their names, Searching for Sanctuary and At What Cost? I was concurrently also Digital Editor of Sandwich Magazine where I helped launched the Chef’s Special issue with Gordon Ramsay, created the magazine’s first digital and social only content, and oversaw the growth and development of the magazine’s social channels.
I’ve written for the Guardian, The Independent, VICE, Huck, GQ, Dazed, Ralph, Sandwich, Little White Lies and more. I’ve appeared across broadcast media including Newsnight, Channel 4 News, Victoria Derbyshire programme, LBC, Times Radio, TalkTV and TalkRadio.
In January 2025 I launched a substack called the good fight, dedicated to telling the stories of incredible people doing incredible things across movements to make the world better.
I’m currently working on my first book (more on that to follow!).
Across the site you will find a selection of clippings that cover each aspect of my work that I will try and keep as updated as possible. If you’d like to talk more about commissioning me, booking me, getting me involved in your project I’d love to hear from you! You’ll find all my details on the contact page.
Thanks for reading!