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Controversial Novel by Thelyson Orelien Soars to Bestseller Status Amid AI Allegations
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Firstpost•06-10-2026, 16:03
Controversial Novel by Thelyson Orelien Soars to Bestseller Status Amid AI Allegations
- •Thelyson Orelien’s novel C’était ça ou mourir has sold nearly 65000 copies in France and topped fiction sales rankings despite ongoing controversy.
- •The book faced allegations on social media that artificial intelligence was used extensively in its writing, a claim the author denies.
- •The Académie Goncourt removed the novel from prize consideration and promotional events were suspended following the accusations.
- •The story follows a Haitian teacher named Jonas Dorléon fleeing violence in Port-au-Prince and journeying toward Canada.
- •Despite the scandal, strong sales persist as readers and booksellers engage with the debate over AI and human authorship.
Key Questions Answered
Thélyson Orélien's controversial novel is titled 'C'était ça ou mourir' (It Was That or Die) and has sold close to 65,000 copies in France since its release on 19 August.
The Académie Goncourt removed the book from its prize consideration after allegations surfaced on X claiming that the author used generative artificial intelligence extensively to write the novel, alongside previous plagiarism questions.
The novel follows Jonas Dorléon, a Haitian history and geography teacher in Port-au-Prince whose life is upended by violence, forcing him to embark on a dangerous migrant journey through the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Mexico toward Canada.
