Shola von Reinhold

Shola von Reinhold is a Scottish writer. Her debut novel, LOTE, was published by Jacaranda Books during the publisher's #Twentyin2020 campaign, an initiative to "publish 20 titles by 20 Black British writers in one year". LOTE won the Republic of Consciousness Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.

Life and education Shola von Reinhold was born in Glasgow. She completed a Creative Writing MLitt at Glasgow University, where she held a Jessica Yorke Writing Scholarship. She also studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins in London. and describes herself as Black, working-class and queer. Interviews and author biographies have used both "they" and "she" pronouns for von Reinhold, who has discussed the advantages of "indefiniteness" when assigning pronouns in her fiction. She has said that she gives "lots of different ages" for herself and that such fictional and shifting autobiographies provide a "protective veil". She calls these figures "Transfixions”. These "Transfixions" include both fictional and real figures. This leads her to join an artist residency in the small European town of Dun, where she joins forces with other residents to "deep-dive" into Druitt and the associated cult of "the Luxuries". with the protagonists identifying how "this prejudice has its roots in colonialist contempt for African culture".

Other work In 2021, von Reinhard contributed an essay, 'The Scintillations Of Black Carnelian Grotto (the Individual) And Theire Journey To Black Carnelian Grotto (the Place)', to Peggy Ahwesh Vision Machines, a study of US artist and filmmaker Peggy Ahwesh.

In 2023, she contributed 'Collaboration x Commission' to Pippa Garner ACT Like You Know Me, a study of US artist Pippa Garner.

Awards and honours 2021: Republic of Consciousness Prize 2021: James Tait Black Memorial Prize

Selected bibliography LOTE, 2020