Despite allegations of artificial intelligence usage and plagiarism that derailed its momentum elsewhere, Thélyson Orélien’s novel C’était ça ou mourir remains in contention for the Renaudot prize following the release of the literary award’s second selection on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
The literary world continues to grapple with the fallout surrounding the second selection of the Renaudot prize, which kept the Canado-Haitian author’s book on its shortlist despite controversy that erupted on September 21, 2026. While the book was promptly dropped from consideration for the Goncourt, Femina, and Décembre prizes, the Renaudot jury opted to retain it among the nine novels still competing for the honor.
Literary Awards Split on Thélyson Orélien and C’était ça ou mourir
The Goncourt jury removed the novel immediately upon the emergence of unverified allegations claiming the author used AI to draft the text, alongside separate accusations of plagiarism regarding earlier writings in Canada. The Femina and Décembre juries similarly excluded the book from their second selections.
Conversely, the Renaudot jury—presided over by Frédéric Beigbeder and counting figures such as Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Dominique Bona, and Patrick Besson among its ten members—maintained the title. Alongside Orélien’s novel, the Renaudot’s second roman selection features works by Boris Bergmann, Jean-Marie Blas de Roblès, Hemley Boum, François-Henri Désérable, David Djaïz, Osvalde Lewat, Anne Percin, and Marie Petitcuénot. The winner will be announced on November 3, 2026, in Paris, following a final list reduction on October 28. The book also secured a spot on the shortlist for the Prix littéraire de la Porte Dorée.
Sales Figures and Industry Standing in France and Quebec
Released in France on August 19, 2026, by Grasset following its March publication in Quebec, the book ranks as the top-selling novel of the French literary rentrée.
Cumulative sales in France reached 82,727 copies, keeping it ahead of Amélie Nothomb’s Adolescence du perroquet at 77,363 copies and Philippe Jaenada’s L’inconnue du quai de Javel at 47,360 copies. Industry experts urge caution against reading too much into standard weekly fluctuations.
Patrick Petitclerc, director of sales and development for the Société de gestion de la BTLF, noted that market shifts of that scale are frequent for any single title. In Quebec, the novel ranks sixth on the overall market, despite a 14% overall market decline across the province.
Publisher Actions and the Broader AI Debate in Publishing
The controversy has directly impacted the author’s professional itinerary.
As Emma Saudin observed, valuing the labor and struggle behind a text highlights the genuine emotion inherent in writing. Frédéric Beigbeder leads the Renaudot jury alongside members including Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Dominique Bona, and Patrick Besson.