FNAC DARTY recently announced that Haitian Canadian writer Thélyson Orélien won the 2026 Fnac Novel Prize for his debut novel, C’était ça ou mourir (Grasset 2026), described as “a poignant and incisive tale of exile and contemporary migration, the book chronicles a journey from Haiti to the U.S. border.” The award was presented by singer Marguerite, this year’s ambassador, on the riverboat Les Jardins du Pont Neuf in Paris, on September 21, 2026. C’était ça ou mourir has also received the Prix Méduse and the Prix Strasbourg Espoir CIC. Now, the author’s award has been marred by accusations of AI use.
Among other news outlets, Radio Canada reports that, in an interview with Libération, the author explained that, since his arrival in France to promote his book, he has been subjected to numerous racist attacks — “not from readers, but from outsiders seeking to cause harm.” Read a brief description below, followed by Orélien’s statement.
From FNAC DARTY:
A Memorable Journey into the Heart of Exile
In “C’était ça ou mourir,” Thélyson Orélien traces the journey of Jonas Dorléon, from his departure from Haiti to the U.S. border. Through his unique and incisive writing, the author explores the experience of being uprooted and the human stories of forced displacement. By honoring this work, Fnac is highlighting a major new voice in Francophone literature. [. . .]
From Éric Chaverou’s article in Radio France, « “C’était ça ou mourir”, de Thélyson Orélien, écrit avec l’IA ? Ses accusateurs s’expliquent »: The serious allegation originated from a confidential X account: the season’s major new novel was allegedly written “almost entirely” using AI. We spoke with the five-person collective that utilized the Pangram tool. AFP considers these claims, while Grasset rejects them. [. . .]
Thélyson Orélien’s response (Radio France): In a communication sent only to journalists on August 19 by Grasset, Thélyson Orélien, 38 years old, explains,
“I began writing C’était ça ou mourir in Autumn 2017 and I finished the first draft in 2019. I come from a Haitian and Caribbean literary tradition in which poetry, imagery, repetition, and rhythm carry a living voice. It is in the framework of this heritage that my own voice was forged. One might debate my style, but treating its stylistic devices as evidence of artificial intelligence has nothing to do with literary criticism. I wonder if the same suspicions might not be cast upon Césaire or Jacques Stephen Alexis— writers from whose linguistic freedom I am humbly striving to learn. My thanks go to the readers who have embraced this book and made a place for it in their lives; their trust helps me through this experience. In a world where some always want to verify where you come from before listening to what you have to say, this reception moves me deeply.”
For more information, see https://www.fnacdarty.com/en/thelyson-orelien-wins-the-2026-fnac-novel-prize-for-cetait-ca-ou-mourir/, https://www.grasset.fr/livre/cetait-ca-ou-mourir-9782246847069/, https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/23/cetait-ca-ou-mourir-literary-sensation-faces-claims-of-using-ai, https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2286149/thelyson-orelien-intelligence-artificielle-roman, https://www.liberation.fr/culture/livres/thelyson-orelien-auteur-du-controverse-cetait-ca-ou-mourir-le-destin-blesse-dun-exile-20260923_P73TJI3TRVELBOSIBEWRVW7F7E/, and https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/l-info-culturelle-reportages-enquetes-analyses/c-etait-ca-ou-mourir-de-thelyson-orelien-ecrit-avec-l-ia-ses-accusateurs-s-expliquent-1200723?ia
Also see https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/world/canada/thelyson-orelien-haiti-us-canada-migration.html
For more on the award, see https://www.fnac.com/prix-du-roman-fnac
[Photo above by Joël Saget/ AFP, https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/l-info-culturelle-reportages-enquetes-analyses/c-etait-ca-ou-mourir-de-thelyson-orelien-ecrit-avec-l-ia-ses-accusateurs-s-expliquent-1200723?]