Goncourt Withdraws Orélien: AI Suspicions and Reactions

Key Takeaways

1The Académie Goncourt has removed C’était ça ou mourir from its 2026 selection, deeming the novel largely produced by AI.

2The author contests this, supported by writers, while Boréal suspends its promotion and Pangram is highlighted by its accusers.

3Media have documented previous cases of plagiarism attributed to Thélyson Orélien; AI tools like Manuscript AI are already being used in publishing.

Why it matters : The Goncourt's decision and the mixed reactions are redefining eligibility and verification criteria in the era of AI-assisted texts in publishing.

Two days after calling for caution, the Académie Goncourt has removed C’était ça ou mourir from its initial selection, concluding, based on converging analyses, that the novel is largely produced by AI. The author contests this, some writers defend him, while his Canadian publisher suspends its promotion. The case relies on Pangram tests and revives previous plagiarism cases attributed to Thélyson Orélien, as AI tools are already entering the publishing landscape.

The Académie Goncourt Excludes the Novel to Preserve the Integrity of the Prize

On September 25, the Académie Goncourt removed C’était ça ou mourir from its initial selection for the Goncourt 2026. The institution explains that it wants to preserve the integrity of the prize and reminds that it honors literature written by women and men. It states that it does not endorse texts generated with the help of AI and concludes, based on converging analyses, that the novel is predominantly the product of artificial intelligence. Two days earlier, on September 23, its president Philippe Claudel had called for caution and acknowledged that the Académie lacks the means and expertise to verify the use of AI. The Goncourt jury is composed of ten individuals from the literary field.

Public Support: Despentes and Nothomb Defend the Author, Others Align in Quebec

On the set of C ce soir, Virginie Despentes defended Thélyson Orélien by attacking Pangram and asserting that he should not have to justify himself. Amélie Nothomb submitted her own novels to the same detector and reported achieving 100% human writing from start to finish, while emphasizing that AIs do not agree with each other and expressing her support for the author. She summarized the confrontation between systems with a formula about an "AI octagon." In Quebec, India Desjardins and Catherine Dorion wrote "I believe him," while the Salon du livre de l’Estrie stated it had the courage to believe the author and his publisher.

Tool-Driven Accusations: Balance ton Claude, Pangram, and a Found Prompt

On September 22, the anonymous X account Balance ton Claude, referencing Anthropic's AI, published results obtained with Pangram, a detector for AI-generated texts. Twenty passages from the novel were reportedly tested, yielding a verdict of "100% AI" each time. The account is run by essayist Samuel Fitoussi, a columnist for Figaro, who claims he did not act alone. At the same time, ActuaLitté found on the author's personal website an article dated 2023 containing the phrase in parentheses "Discuss the role of Quebec as a guardian of the French linguistic heritage in America." This has generated significant online attention, with three million views surrounding the case, originating from an account with 92 followers.

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Author's Position and Publisher Decisions

Thélyson Orélien denies any use of AI. He states he began the novel in the fall of 2017 and completed the first draft in 2019. He believes that debating his style is legitimate, but considering his writing processes as evidence of AI does not fall under literary criticism, and he denounces an intention to silence him. His publisher Grasset reaffirms its absolute confidence in him and describes a campaign of hatred. In Canada, the publisher Boréal has suspended the promotional tour and canceled the author's appearance at the Salon du livre de Québec to safeguard his well-being.

Documented History of Plagiarism Reported by Media

According to La Presse and Radio-Canada, at least five articles signed by Thélyson Orélien and published between 2012 and 2014 include passages from other authors. Among these texts, a column published in 2013 corresponds to a very slightly modified version of an article from the Philippine Star published five days earlier. A post on Mediapart in 2014 reused the analysis of a former Colombian minister. The short story "Où va le monde," which won the Radio-Canada public prize in 2012, reportedly contains borrowings from "Le Matin des magiciens" by Pauwels and Bergier. La Presse describes these contents as plagiarism and refers to a "disappointing and inexcusable" deception.

A Sector Already Equipped with AI to Sort Manuscripts

Since January, the company Trilogy has been marketing a software called Manuscript AI to medium and large publishers. The tool assigns each manuscript a score from 0 to 100 based on its potential. The so-called "Galligrasseuil" joke refers to the publishing houses Gallimard, Grasset, and Le Seuil, which are part of the concerned ecosystem.

Initial Success of the Book Before the Controversy

Before the suspicions of AI use, C’était ça ou mourir, the debut novel by Thélyson Orélien, had a notable launch. First published in Canada and then in France by Grasset, it sold around 35,000 copies and was translated into about twenty countries. The book received the Fnac novel prize and appeared on the early lists for the Goncourt, Renaudot, Femina, and Médicis prizes. Amélie Nothomb had praised it highly. Thélyson Orélien was featured on La Grande Librairie on September 2, and the show later revisited the controversy.