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Helen Smith

@wordsmith.bsky.social

2.1K followers 2K following 287 posts

Professor, @UoYEnglish. Printer, @thinicepress. Opinions mainly culled from the dustier corners of the sixenteenth century.

Posts Replies Media

Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

I had not seen this before, and it made me smile...

A flow chart titled 'What to call your Academic Event', poking fun at academic event titles.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Same.

Sign saying 'Sorry, je ne fonctionne plus'.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

It me...

Inside of a mother's day card, with a drawing of a woman.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Got new tweezers, and they have a bodkin on the end. Truly, marvels are still possible.

Photograph of some type, with a bodkin point pushing a piece of spacing into place.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

Here's a very proud reading ambassador on her way to school!

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Helena Bonham-Carter as Margaret Cavendish.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Using Google AI to generate taglines for Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print.

A set of AI generated captions for a business selling ice.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Cue childish laughter...

A phone screen showing the words 'Wind Warning'.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

We had a very fun workshop at Thin Ice Press this morning, putting the blue back into Blue Monday... #letterpress #printing #woodtype

Lines of wood text on a powered proofing text, with different names for blue.

Two overlapping posters showing wood and metal type printed over a background of pale blue words.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Well, I had my doubts, but, in the end, I think we were right to go tasteful and low-key.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Yes, it's going great. Thanks for asking.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Husky and I wait faithfully for her return.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

A Thin Ice Frost Fair today in the very lovely surroundings of St Anthony's Hall! Pop in and see us if you are in York!

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

A lovely, pre-Shandeian moment in Cavendish's Philosophical and Physical Opinions!!

A page from Margaret Cavendish's *Philosophical and Physical Opinions', with a printed marginal squiggle.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Viral in two senses (one deeply unfortunate). The very weird experience that was my UoY English #wfh tweet taking off.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Congratulations to Thin Ice Press Master Printer Nick Gill (aka Effra Press) who won the Heritage Crafts England Maker of the Year Award yesterday! I got to attend the award ceremony in gorgeous Eltham Palace; it was beyond inspiring to see the diversity and richness of craft talent assembled there.

Picture of an award, with the recipient, Nick Gill, printing in the background.

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Helen Smith @wordsmith.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Ah well. We have new fluffy research assistants, so there I can oblige...

A degu, sitting on my arm and contemplating its next move.

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