Growing Up Happy in a Lonely World: A Mixtape Memoir was honored as a winner in the LGBTQ+ category of the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. Recognized for its powerful storytelling and authentic exploration of identity, belonging, and resilience, the memoir stands among the year’s most distinguished independently published books.
Judges comments:
Growing Up Happy In A Lonely World – A Mixed Tape Memoir, by Nicole M Morrison (Live Differently Publishing)
Nicole M. Morrison’s Growing Up Happy in a Lonely World reads like hitting play on an old mixtape you forgot you kept—one that somehow gives shape to feelings you never quite had words for. She’s refreshingly candid about the quieter kind of loneliness, the pressure to look “fine,” and the slow work of unlearning shame and inherited beliefs. What landed most for me was the constant tug-of-war between wanting to belong and wanting to be herself, especially growing up without the language or safety to name her identity. The track-by-track structure (and playlists) keeps everything moving with a real sense of rhythm. It’s tender, unpolished in the best way, and unexpectedly comforting. I especially loved the Quick Response (QR) Code link to the playlists.
~ Next Generation Indie Book Awards Judge
