This year's Lollies cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak

Scholastic has cancelled the Laugh Out Loud Awards (known as the Lollies) for 2020, due to schools closing and the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus crisis.

The publisher said: "It has sadly proved impossible to adapt the schedule around longlisting and shortlisting and more importantly, the voting period for schools and children to select their winners, in a way that would allow us to fully support the programme and the brilliant books submitted for consideration this year."

This year the Lollies website will instead be used to celebrate funny books in general, including previous shortlists, and the awards will return in 2021.

The Lollies, which were created in 2015 after the Roald Dahl Estate announced the end of the Road Dahl Book Prize, would have celebrated its fifth year in 2020. Last year's winners included Liz Pichon, Emer Stamp and Elys Dolan.