The prestigious John Llewellyn Rhys prize, which honors the best work of literature by a writer under 35 and is the U.K.'s second oldest literary award, has been suspended for 2011 due to lack of funding. The Guardian reported that the award's administrator, Booktrust, "which earlier this year was at the center of controversy after it revealed that the government was to cut a £13m annual grant for free books for children, said that the prize was being suspended this year after a 'particularly challenging' few months.' "
Winners of the award, which was founded in 1942, have included William Boyd, Jeanette Winterson, Margaret Drabble, V.S. Naipaul, Angela Carter and Melvyn Bragg.
Booktrust said, "We have not taken this decision lightly and we strongly intend to bring back the prize with a bang in the very near future." The charity has also been forced to suspend its Early Years Awards and the Teenage Prize in autumn 2011 due to lack of funding, and is currently "exploring possibilities with new sponsors" for these awards as well," the Guardian wrote.