Key facts
- The Académie Goncourt removed Thélyson Orélien's novel "C’était ça ou mourir" from its prize longlist.
- The decision was made due to allegations that the book was largely written by AI and accusations of plagiarism.
- Orélien denies the AI allegations, calling them racially motivated and stating the language and imagery are his own.
- The novel's publisher, Le Éditions du Boréal, stated they cannot confirm or deny the allegations without credible evidence.
- The author of the anonymous X account was identified as Le Figaro columnist Samuel Fitoussi.
- The Académie Goncourt will announce its shortlist on October 6 and the winner on November 4.
The Académie Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary prize, has removed the novel "C’était ça ou mourir" by Canadian-Haitian writer Thélyson Orélien from its longlist. The decision, announced on Friday, was driven by allegations that the book was "almost entirely" written by artificial intelligence and further accusations of plagiarism.
Orélien, who was born in Haiti, has denied the AI claims, stating they are racially motivated and that the novel's lyrical style and imagery are his own. The book, published in August, has sold approximately 35,000 copies and won the Prix du roman Fnac. Translation rights have been sold to over 20 countries.
The allegations of AI authorship first emerged on X from an anonymous account, Balance ton Claude, which claimed AI detection software identified the novel as largely AI-generated. However, questions have been raised about the accuracy of such software, with other programs suggesting human authorship. The author of the anonymous X account was later identified as Samuel Fitoussi, a columnist for the newspaper Le Figaro.
In addition to the AI claims, French media outlets published allegations of plagiarism against Orélien, including from a 1960 book. The Académie Goncourt cited both the AI concerns and the plagiarism accusations in its statement, emphasizing its commitment to preserving the integrity of the prize and honouring human-written literature.
Orélien's original publisher, Le Éditions du Boréal, stated they could not confirm or deny the allegations without credible evidence and urged against jumping to conclusions. They also condemned hateful messages directed at the author. Orélien himself has indicated he will take a step back from public comment until things calm down, stating the attacks aim to silence his voice.