The Académie Goncourt has removed Thélyson Orélien’s bestselling debut novel, C’était ça ou mourir, from the running for France’s prestigious Goncourt Prize following a controversy over alleged artificial intelligence use and plagiarism.
The decision was announced on Friday, September 25, after several days of debate surrounding the Haitian-born Canadian writer and his novel, which had been included in the prize’s first selection.
Orélien has denied using AI to write the book. The controversy began after an anonymous account on X, known as “Balance ton Claude”, claimed that analysis using the Pangram detection tool indicated extensive AI involvement.
The reliability of AI-detection software has itself become part of the debate. Other analyses have produced different findings, making it difficult to establish authorship solely through such tools.
Earlier Works Also Face Scrutiny
The controversy widened after French media reported allegations of plagiarism involving some of Orélien’s earlier writings. Those claims concern works published more than a decade ago and remain disputed.
The Académie Goncourt said its decision was intended to protect the integrity of the prize and the institution. It cited the plagiarism allegations alongside what it described as converging analyses indicating that the novel was very likely produced to a large extent with AI assistance.
Published in August, C’était ça ou mourir has become one of the notable literary successes of the French season, selling more than 35,000 copies and receiving several awards.
The novel follows a Haitian migrant fleeing violence and travelling through Latin America before reaching Canada. Translation rights have reportedly been sold in more than 20 countries.
The Goncourt shortlist is due to be announced on October 6, with the 2026 winner expected to be named on November 4.
