Simone Hewitt's Living in Colour Wins a 2026 IndieReader Discovery Award

What did Simone Hewitt win? Her debut memoir, Living in Colour: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Sisterhood, won the 2026 IndieReader Discovery Award in the self-help and nonfiction category. IndieReader marked the win with an interview published on July 23, 2026.

What the book is about

Living in Colour is a personal account of finding a sense of belonging. The memoir takes up colourism, the bias that favors lighter skin within and across communities of color; betrayal in close friendships; and the work of healing, including therapy. Those themes are set out in the interview and on Hewitt's website. A central thread is sisterhood: what genuine friendship among women looks like after relationships that let her down.

About the author

Hewitt brings an academic and professional background to the subject. Her professional profile lists a master's degree in human resource management and a PhD. That background shows in a book that combines memoir with practical reflection, which is likely why it competed as self-help as well as life writing.

Why colourism memoirs matter

Colourism is discussed far less than racism, yet it shapes experiences of beauty, employment, dating and family life in many communities. First-person accounts make it concrete for readers who have felt it without a name for it, and for readers who have never noticed it. Memoirs that also point toward healing tend to find an audience in book clubs and therapy-adjacent reading lists.

What an IRDA win means for an indie memoir

Memoir is one of the hardest categories to sell for independent authors, because readers usually come to it through a known name. Awards such as the IRDAs, judged by publishing professionals, give unknown memoirists an outside endorsement to put on covers and pitch letters. For authors planning speaking engagements or workshops, as many self-help writers do, an award also helps with event organizers.

Who it suits

Readers who have experienced colourism or difficult female friendships, women of color looking for memoir that speaks directly to their experience, and readers interested in therapy and self-discovery narratives.

Book details

• Title: Living in Colour: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Sisterhood
• Author: Simone Hewitt
• Award: 2026 IndieReader Discovery Award, self-help and nonfiction
• Type: debut memoir