Thélyson Orélien confronts AI authorship accusations amid court involvement

Haitian-Canadian author Thélyson Orélien has been accused of using generative‑AI software to write his latest novel, C’était ça ou mourir. He denied the claim at the Manosque literary festival and earlier in Paris, insisting the work was created without AI assistance. The book, which won the Fnac novel prize and was shortlisted for the Renaudot and Goncourt awards, is on display at Lyon’s Fnac Bellecour, where sales have not taken off. The controversy has been brought before a court, prompting debate among booksellers, readers and commentators about literary authenticity and the role of AI in creative writing.