How AI allegations led Quebec author from prestigious awards to losing his publisher

Montreal - In 2017, Haitian-born author Thélyson Orélien began writing his debut novel, "C’était ça ou mourir" ("It was either that or dying"), inspired by his own experience fleeing Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. By 2019, he had completed a 300-page draft. In September 2025, the publisher Les Éditions du Boréal received the manuscript but could not verify the allegations about the book's writing process.

The novel was published in Quebec on September 2, 2025, and went on to be nominated for France's prestigious Prix Goncourt award, among other recognitions. However, allegations surfaced on September 21 that artificial intelligence was used to write the novel, based on Pangram software findings. Orélien denied the allegations, stating his writing style was rooted in Haiti's literary tradition.

Despite the controversy, his publisher defended him and kept the book on shelves until further allegations of plagiarism emerged, leading to the withdrawal of the novel's recognition and the author's removal from a book fair guest list. Orélien later admitted to plagiarism in his earlier work and apologized, denying the use of AI for his debut novel.