Helen Rye
@helenrye.bsky.social
Writer, editor. UEA Prose MA and fledgling PhD researcher. Won some writing things. Published some writing things. @smokelong.bsky.social senior ed. She/her.
“Voluntary deportations”? How is this oxymoronic xenophobic bile coming from @teamlabouruk.bsky.social? @labourlewis.bsky.social this is too Orwellian for me. The rhetoric of my lifelong party disgusts me. Torn between never wanting to vote for them again and wanting to keep you as my MP.
"He wanted the deportations of people born in Britain to be “as voluntary as possible”. So not "voluntary" then.
Labour and Reform are essentially aligned on anti-immigration. The only difference being that Labour claims its xenophobic cruelty is "progressive".
archive.today/6jlRL
Labour and Reform are essentially aligned on anti-immigration. The only difference being that Labour claims its xenophobic cruelty is "progressive".
archive.today/6jlRL
December 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM
“Voluntary deportations”? How is this oxymoronic xenophobic bile coming from @teamlabouruk.bsky.social? @labourlewis.bsky.social this is too Orwellian for me. The rhetoric of my lifelong party disgusts me. Torn between never wanting to vote for them again and wanting to keep you as my MP.
Reposted by Helen Rye
A simple ask on this first Saturday of December: click “weekly” or “monthly” on a coffee.
The math adds up. Almost two hundred people have pledged around this, and it has meant sustained, dependable support for six families & a camp—to survive.
The math adds up. Almost two hundred people have pledged around this, and it has meant sustained, dependable support for six families & a camp—to survive.
Keep Hope Alive: a Gaza Giving Circle
We are a team of volunteers in the US and UK, led by two sisters passionate about helping our friends on the ground keep their families and neighbors alive with food, water, & shelter. We saw that their...
chuffed.org
December 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
A simple ask on this first Saturday of December: click “weekly” or “monthly” on a coffee.
The math adds up. Almost two hundred people have pledged around this, and it has meant sustained, dependable support for six families & a camp—to survive.
The math adds up. Almost two hundred people have pledged around this, and it has meant sustained, dependable support for six families & a camp—to survive.
Reposted by Helen Rye
Streeting, vocal about his belief that mental health issues, autism, ADHD etc are "overdiagnosed, is pushing a review, part led by someone who's already done this to ME patients, into whether they're overdiagnosed. Expect a lot more articles trying to set a narrative. 2/
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnoses
The health secretary says the aim is to tackle a rising demand for services and pressure on the NHS.
www.bbc.com
December 6, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Streeting, vocal about his belief that mental health issues, autism, ADHD etc are "overdiagnosed, is pushing a review, part led by someone who's already done this to ME patients, into whether they're overdiagnosed. Expect a lot more articles trying to set a narrative. 2/
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Helen Rye
As with government "reviews' into migrants rights, disability support, trans and non-binary individuals etc there is usually a preferred outcome which the government wants to achieve. That is helped by media outlets pushing somewhat misleading reports supporting the preferred outcome. 1/
The fact that many GPs don't believe people with mental health conditions will not be news to those of us with mental health conditions who have had to deal with these cunts.
Kudos on the BBC for continuing to manufacture consent to take away our rights and healthcare though.
Kudos on the BBC for continuing to manufacture consent to take away our rights and healthcare though.
'Life being stressful is not an illness' - GPs on mental health over-diagnosis
Hundreds of GPs in England tell the BBC they are also worried about a lack of help for patients.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 9:19 AM
As with government "reviews' into migrants rights, disability support, trans and non-binary individuals etc there is usually a preferred outcome which the government wants to achieve. That is helped by media outlets pushing somewhat misleading reports supporting the preferred outcome. 1/
Reposted by Helen Rye
We just gave our annual donation to @rosemetalpress.bsky.social who does so much to support flash and hybrid works. If you can, please send them some cash on this Giving Tuesday. rosemetalpress.com/support-rose...
Support Rose Metal Press | Rose Metal Press
Support Rose Metal Press
rosemetalpress.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:30 PM
We just gave our annual donation to @rosemetalpress.bsky.social who does so much to support flash and hybrid works. If you can, please send them some cash on this Giving Tuesday. rosemetalpress.com/support-rose...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Our workshop participants reported more than 40 publications in November. While they don't yet rule the world—unfortunately—they rock it.
www.smokelong.com/smokelong-wo...
www.smokelong.com/smokelong-wo...
SmokeLong Workshop Celebration – November 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
Each month we celebrate our current and previous workshop participants’ publications reported to us through Submittable (The SmokeLong Workshop Prize). Each of the publications below, with the excepti...
www.smokelong.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Our workshop participants reported more than 40 publications in November. While they don't yet rule the world—unfortunately—they rock it.
www.smokelong.com/smokelong-wo...
www.smokelong.com/smokelong-wo...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Congratulations to the winner of SAFTA's SmokeLong Quarterly Fellowship for Trans Writers for Spring 2026, M. K. Thekkumkattil!
Details of how to apply for the next round (Summer 2026—deadline Feb 1): www.sundresspublications.com/safta/reside...
Details of how to apply for the next round (Summer 2026—deadline Feb 1): www.sundresspublications.com/safta/reside...
December 2, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Congratulations to the winner of SAFTA's SmokeLong Quarterly Fellowship for Trans Writers for Spring 2026, M. K. Thekkumkattil!
Details of how to apply for the next round (Summer 2026—deadline Feb 1): www.sundresspublications.com/safta/reside...
Details of how to apply for the next round (Summer 2026—deadline Feb 1): www.sundresspublications.com/safta/reside...
Reposted by Helen Rye
The long list for The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 is here! Congratulations and thank you to all who entered. The judging has been and continues to be extremely tough. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
December 1, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The long list for The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 is here! Congratulations and thank you to all who entered. The judging has been and continues to be extremely tough. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
We’ll be announcing the long list for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest aka #TheMikey later today…
a pink starfish with a face and the words `` today 's the daaaay '' written on it .
ALT: a pink starfish with a face and the words `` today 's the daaaay '' written on it .
media.tenor.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
We’ll be announcing the long list for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest aka #TheMikey later today…
Reposted by Helen Rye
We made a numbered list of everyone who shared our FlashGiving posts across social media (thank you!) and generated a random number, which was 38, which means that Gill O'Halloran @quickasaflash.bsky.social is the winner of our 2025 FlashGiving draw! Please email [email protected], Gill.🙂
November 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM
We made a numbered list of everyone who shared our FlashGiving posts across social media (thank you!) and generated a random number, which was 38, which means that Gill O'Halloran @quickasaflash.bsky.social is the winner of our 2025 FlashGiving draw! Please email [email protected], Gill.🙂
Reposted by Helen Rye
It's FlashGiving! Follow @smokelong.bsky.social if you don't already, then like and share this post to get your name in the hat to win $200 holiday money. Deadline is midnight ET, November 26th! Winner chosen randomly on Nov 27th. Please tag @smokelong.bsky.social so that we know you've posted!
November 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
It's FlashGiving! Follow @smokelong.bsky.social if you don't already, then like and share this post to get your name in the hat to win $200 holiday money. Deadline is midnight ET, November 26th! Winner chosen randomly on Nov 27th. Please tag @smokelong.bsky.social so that we know you've posted!
Reposted by Helen Rye
It's sign-up time to try SmokeLong Fitness in December and January! We'd love to get new particitrousers in by November 24 to do some onboarding since the first December writing task goes live on December 1st. Come write with us. We're not a cult. We promise. www.smokelong.com/product/try-...
Try SmokeLong Fitness - SmokeLong Quarterly
Are you curious about the community workshop of SmokeLong Fitness but don’t know if you can commit to a year without a peek behind the curtain? You can try SmokeLong Fitness in December and January fo...
www.smokelong.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM
It's sign-up time to try SmokeLong Fitness in December and January! We'd love to get new particitrousers in by November 24 to do some onboarding since the first December writing task goes live on December 1st. Come write with us. We're not a cult. We promise. www.smokelong.com/product/try-...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Day zero or day one, today is the deadline for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest. Ends midnight tonight. Send your best 250 words (or fewer). #TheMikey. ❤️
#TheMikey deadline is this Saturday Nov. 15, midnight NYC. However you count the days (you can see how bad we are at it), you can't choose your own ending for this, sadly, but you CAN choose to send us your 250-word story—top prizes $1,000/$500/$300; finalists $100; all published in December's SLQ.
November 15, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Day zero or day one, today is the deadline for the SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest. Ends midnight tonight. Send your best 250 words (or fewer). #TheMikey. ❤️
Reposted by Helen Rye
Saturday is now the day after tomorrow #TheMikey
#TheMikey deadline is this Saturday Nov. 15, midnight NYC. However you count the days (you can see how bad we are at it), you can't choose your own ending for this, sadly, but you CAN choose to send us your 250-word story—top prizes $1,000/$500/$300; finalists $100; all published in December's SLQ.
November 13, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Saturday is now the day after tomorrow #TheMikey
<Prince vocals> This is what it sounds like...when we do number things (also our contest ends this Saturday and is excellent)
#TheMikey deadline is this Saturday Nov. 15, midnight NYC. However you count the days (you can see how bad we are at it), you can't choose your own ending for this, sadly, but you CAN choose to send us your 250-word story—top prizes $1,000/$500/$300; finalists $100; all published in December's SLQ.
November 12, 2025 at 1:07 PM
<Prince vocals> This is what it sounds like...when we do number things (also our contest ends this Saturday and is excellent)
Reposted by Helen Rye
This review! “Happy people really don’t live here. Sorrow floats above them like the cemetery ghosts, unmoored and occasionally angry, everything framed within a madcap murder mystery…Sparks is a clever writer who has, by melding conventions from several genres, created a perfect hybrid”
The bighearted ghost story you didn’t know you needed. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/h... @liveright.bsky.social @ambersparks.bsky.social @keithdonohue.bsky.social #booksky
Happy People Don’t Live Here: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:28 PM
This review! “Happy people really don’t live here. Sorrow floats above them like the cemetery ghosts, unmoored and occasionally angry, everything framed within a madcap murder mystery…Sparks is a clever writer who has, by melding conventions from several genres, created a perfect hybrid”
Reposted by Helen Rye
The Saturday after this one is now this Saturday, because that’s how time goes. This means that as of midnight NYC tonight, Tuesday Nov 11, there will be 96 hours to enter the 250-word, $1,000-top-prize SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025. Please let this be right. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 AM
The Saturday after this one is now this Saturday, because that’s how time goes. This means that as of midnight NYC tonight, Tuesday Nov 11, there will be 96 hours to enter the 250-word, $1,000-top-prize SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025. Please let this be right. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Well. We know today is Monday. We know #TheMikey ends midnight NYC, Saturday Nov 15. We know there're 6, 5, or 4 days left, depending who's counting. We know we once confidently ran a contest countdown that ended two days before the deadline and had to style it out. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
November 10, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Well. We know today is Monday. We know #TheMikey ends midnight NYC, Saturday Nov 15. We know there're 6, 5, or 4 days left, depending who's counting. We know we once confidently ran a contest countdown that ended two days before the deadline and had to style it out. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
Now there’s one actual week left, if you count the deadline day as a day and today as a day. $1,000 1st; $500 2nd; $300 3rd; $100 finalists. Winners and finalists published in the December issue of SmokeLong Quarterly. 250 words max. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
November 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Now there’s one actual week left, if you count the deadline day as a day and today as a day. $1,000 1st; $500 2nd; $300 3rd; $100 finalists. Winners and finalists published in the December issue of SmokeLong Quarterly. 250 words max. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
Reposted by Helen Rye
One week to go until #TheMikey deadline. Although that’s 8 days, today being Saturday and there being until midnight next Saturday to enter. We know yesterday’s post said 7 days, but that person “doesn’t count the same”, so November 15 is also now further away. Did we say we aren’t numbers people?
November 8, 2025 at 10:45 AM
One week to go until #TheMikey deadline. Although that’s 8 days, today being Saturday and there being until midnight next Saturday to enter. We know yesterday’s post said 7 days, but that person “doesn’t count the same”, so November 15 is also now further away. Did we say we aren’t numbers people?
Reposted by Helen Rye
We never agree on countdowns. To keep the peace, everyone's method is getting a turn this time. So there are "7 days" left to enter #TheMikey, not counting today or the deadline day*. Ends midnight ET Nov. 15.
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
November 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
We never agree on countdowns. To keep the peace, everyone's method is getting a turn this time. So there are "7 days" left to enter #TheMikey, not counting today or the deadline day*. Ends midnight ET Nov. 15.
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
*this is obviously not how countdowns work but someone made a chart and here we all are
Reposted by Helen Rye
Join us!!
There's still time to register for the BITTER OVER SWEET release party over Zoom with @lumchanmfa.bsky.social, @deeshaphilyaw.bsky.social, and @avitusbcarle.bsky.social TOMORROW NIGHT at 7pm EST!
Register here: buff.ly/CtKtA0k
Get BITTER OVER SWEET: buff.ly/q27a4lT
@susanschulman.bsky.social
Register here: buff.ly/CtKtA0k
Get BITTER OVER SWEET: buff.ly/q27a4lT
@susanschulman.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Join us!!
Reposted by Helen Rye
The editor who has control of the cursor right now thinks there are 10 days left to enter #TheMikey, because it’s open until midnight on November 15, so November 15 is totally one (1) day, no I won’t give it back
Okay so every year we fight about how countdowns work, so this time we're just doing a choose-your-own-countdown countdown where you do the math, because we can't. The comp ends the Saturday after this one. You're more likely to know how many days that is than us.
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatical...
www.smokelong.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
The editor who has control of the cursor right now thinks there are 10 days left to enter #TheMikey, because it’s open until midnight on November 15, so November 15 is totally one (1) day, no I won’t give it back
Reposted by Helen Rye
Okay so every year we fight about how countdowns work, so this time we're just doing a choose-your-own-countdown countdown where you do the math, because we can't. The comp ends the Saturday after this one. You're more likely to know how many days that is than us.
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest 2025 - SmokeLong Quarterly
The SmokeLong Grand Micro Contest (The Mikey) is now an annual competition celebrating and compensating the best micro fiction and nonfiction online. The grand prize winner of The Mikey is automatical...
www.smokelong.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Okay so every year we fight about how countdowns work, so this time we're just doing a choose-your-own-countdown countdown where you do the math, because we can't. The comp ends the Saturday after this one. You're more likely to know how many days that is than us.
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...