2026 Book Reviews

by: S K Lockhart

A manifesto is a public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions. Prepare yourself..."liberation manifesto" by 

S K Lockhart invites readers into her intimate space as she unapologetically bares her life, her soul, her sexuality, and her pain, in this intensely personal, honest, tense, yet tender recountment of her path. The poems of "liberation manifesto" move the reader through a mind field of myriad thoughts. Embracing her humanity through times of apocalyptic inner-outer rage, navigating her physical and spiritual isolation, surviving the heartbreak of love and the rage of betrayal, she affirms the complexities of human existence in a troubled world. Regardless of your ancestral roots, socio-economic class, or what neighborhood you came up in, we are a tapestry woven from the collective spirit. In this latest literary excursion, S K's words resonate profound echoes of resilience and aspiration.

-JaneSpokenWord.com, Spoken Word Artist

Liberation Manifesto is a brave telling of an individual reclaiming and recreating their independence amid a shattering world. It is both gut wrenching and provocative, daring the reader to define their own space and identity. S K Lockhart acknowledges their privilege while giving a painstakingly intimate look into their own past traumas and grief while navigating the healing process.  It asks, “Who are you when society isn’t watching?”, while dismantling themes of patriarchy, colonialism, imperialism and so many more! This collection leaves you with a sense of hope; realizing the beauty that comes out of so much pain. 

-Shockie G, spoken word poet, author of IN LIEU OF FLOWERS and BULLET WOUNDS: BULLETS AND BUTTEFLIES

Survival has many faces. It can be raw and snarling, desperate and forever in tears, gasping for air and barely moving. 

Or it can find its voice and become an art.

S K Lockhart’s LIBERATION MANIFESTO is what happens when the art of survival isn’t buried by false modesty or uncertain fears. Yes, there is pain and rage, desperation, and bright anger. There is a very raw, very real grief at being deceived by love, by beliefs one once held sacred, by the promises life is supposed to keep. But through all shines a soul coming into its own. There is honest acknowledgment of the journey, of all the first steps one takes to real love, real truth, certain knowing and belief in self. There is wit, there is heart, there is a blessing of wry humor mixed with unflinching self-examination that sprinkles hope. All bound in the sort of writing that makes one simultaneously dig deep and breathe free.

LIBERATION MANIFESTO is not a book for everyone. It is for those lucky enough to embrace the truth when they find it, then bind it to their own lives and pass it on to a world weary and in pain. S K shows us a heartbeat finding/fighting its clear way home, stopping to help others through example. Her voice is a voice refusing to surrender to all the petty tyrannies life drops in our way. It is survival as an art form.

Stacy Dyson, Poet, author of LOVELY AND SUFFERING, FOLLOW ME ON THIS, and BECAUSE THE SUN WOULD NOT MOVE.

by: Neil Daswani

Neil’s deft touch with language is disarmingly straightforward, what starts out direct and unvarnished, with not an unnecessary flourish conceals a visionary poet. Somehow, hidden in this seemingly quiet, almost prosaic script, a powerful poet lies in wait, whose work has a resonance that will echo within your heart. ... The language is direct, unadorned, not a false or artificial note,  but the poetic power is deft, palpable. In another example, from the poem “First Fish”… or was her leap to land Darwinian and deliberate 

a shoal of species secretly building tail fin muscle coming up for air from time to time 

a planned pilgrimage to a promised land 

with plenty of plant pickings with any devils, unknown just then… Simple, clean of artifice, Neil is a skillful surgeon of language. In this poem he proposes a thought experiment, anticipating motive, and then revealing a potential menace. His language is almost balletic, and each pirouette an epiphany.

Rick Spisak, author of “Two Small Windows”, “7370 Allen Drive”, “Stone Poetry” and “No Noise” Producer of Poets of the East: a webcast featuring interviews with poets from across the globe.

From “To The Groundhog Day to the poem “Robben Island”, via various etymologies and cultural landscapes, Neil Daswani takes us on a voyage of discovery where even a butterfly's wing is not too insignificant to dwell on poetic flights. And barely a semicolon to spoil the flow!

Ian J. MacKenzie, International Beat Poet Laureate, 2026-2027

In an increasingly darkening, sterile, post-AI world, Neil Daswani is a keeper of the fertile flame of poetry. He wields a sure, deft hand conjuring layered, multi-dimensional verses that are original, timeless yet pertinent for today’s discerning reader. From the personal to the extraterrestrial, the historical to the scientific, the visceral to the surreal, Neil defines what it means to be human again. Diverse, endearing, and relatable, these poems mark Neil as a new and exciting talent from Singapore.

Julian Matthews, poet