It was founded in 2018 by Helen Lederer in response to the low number of women awarded the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, having only been presented to three women in 18 years.
[2] She also acknowledges that her status as a well-known comedian has helped draw focus onto the award.
[3] It has been received as a positive way to shine a light on comedic novels, in an environment where publishers may regard comedy as difficult or risky.
In 2025, the award was expanded to permit self-published novels to be entered for the first time.
[5] In 2022, an additional award was added to celebrate a debut published author.