@skylark
Have you tried connecting the phone to your computer via USB cable? Maybe the contents will display without your intervention on the phone.
It depends: Are you still able to type in the start pin? If not, there is no chance on accessing your data.
If you can start the phone and you have automated your backup, it would be possible without any further intervention. I did this for my seedvault backup:
Whenever I plug in my usb stick, an automatic backup starts without need for me typing anything. But I have to be at the launcher level. Also, some apps cannot be backupped by seedvault (e. g. Threema), I have to start the backups from within the app, manually to the stick.
But I guess you did not have that backup routine set before your screen crashed …
For data transfer via usb cable to a computer, you need to confirm the data transfer with your pin - for obvious security reasons.
Thank you for the replies @Taurus-II and @MissPiggy 
Sadly I have plugged it in via USB, my Linux laptop recognises it, but can’t mount it / access anything on it. That’s just via file manager/file explorer. I can try learn how to do it via command-line and check that way too…
And yes - Did not have any backup routine, oops. Screen is totally broken so cannot see if anything is happening. Can try do the pin number but won’t be able to see if it’s worked.
Sadly my lack of knowledge has ended up costing me and seems I’ll lose a few months of photos and voice recordings. But I think I’ve learned the lesson(!!). Once i’ve sorted my repair/replacement I will certainly automate backup in the way described, if that’s a possible setting for any phone operating Iode.
Thanks again!
Some ideas:
I smashed my screen and can't use the touchscreen. Is there any way to access my data? | Samsung UK (… Even if yours is a different brand)
You are in very good company, most people don’t care about it from the start on.
I didn’t in the first few months, either, since I did not have any important stuff on my phone (other than people who run their whole lives on it and really should have enough reason to think about it), but then I had to switch to iodéOS (from CalyxOS) and that was the moment I started thinking about backups 
I now do this every Friday.
It is possible with any iodé device. Seedvault is the system’s backup app. I wish it was also possible for stock Android, so I could install that for my father - easy enough to tell him just to plug it in once a week and wait until the service prompts that it has run successfully, then unplug again. Even he could do this - but stock Android does not have Seedvault 
The standard routine is: When you plug in a usb cable from your computer, the smartphone will start charging the battery. If you want to change from “charging” to “transfer data”, your pin/authorization is needed.
If you can connect something that will let you type in your pin, that might work. I doubt it.
Otherwise, without pin, there is no way you could tell your phone to give access to your data without authorization. Any thief or hacker would be thrilled, if that was possible.
EDIT: There is, of course, the possibility to backup your data automatically into a cloud (own cloud or provider). There are instructions here on the forum, I think. I personally never tested that, since I do not have very valuable data on my smartphone and I do not trust in clouds (= other people’s computers).
Android security prevents decrypting your userdata partition until you enter the unlock pin / pattern. If this was not true, any 3rd party with access to your device could simply steal all your data. So at least the “baddies” aren’t getting your data, but that means neither are the “goodies” like you, the actual owner 