Quebec author abandons effort to document novel’s origins amid AI allegations

MONTREAL – Quebec author Thélyson Orélien has abandoned efforts to compile evidence supporting his denial that artificial intelligence was used to write his novel, his publisher has confirmed.

The decision ends an effort previously disclosed by his publisher, Éditions du Boréal, to document how “C’était ça ou mourir,” which translates to “It was either that or dying,” was written, leaving questions about whether AI was used to write the novel unresolved even as the publisher continues to sell it.

In an email to The Canadian Press, Éditions du Boréal provided comments attributed to its co-director, Renaud Roussel, confirming that Orélien decided to end the effort.

“The publishing house supported him in this process, which he chose to end,” Roussel said.

“That decision is his to make, and we accept it, although we certainly would have preferred to be able to provide definitive answers to the allegations of AI use against him.”

Orélien did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press about his decision to end the evidence-gathering process.

In September, Boréal publicly disclosed that it was collaborating with Orélien to compile a detailed record of his work on the manuscript before it was submitted to the publisher.

Orélien previously told French media outlet Libération that he was gathering evidence with his publishers in France and Quebec to support his account of how the novel was written.

Roussel clarified that the initiative came from Orélien, rather than the publisher, which supported him in the process. He maintained that Boréal’s position had not changed.

The Quebec publisher also confirmed that sales of the novel have slowed since the controversy began, although it declined to provide specific figures.

The book remains available in bookstores, but Boréal said it is currently out of stock at the publishing house, with a new printing expected next week.

Earlier this week, Floriane Claveau, a spokesperson for major Quebec bookstore chain Renaud-Bray, said the retailer had not observed any significant change in sales of the novel over the preceding weeks.

Meanwhile, Montreal-based Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, the province’s library and archives institution, says interest in the novel has been exceptionally high, with 1,713 reservations for its digital edition through its online lending service as of Oct. 14.

Spokesperson Claire-Hélène Lengellé said demand has remained strong for several weeks.

In a statement released Wednesday, Boréal said it received Orélien’s manuscript on Sept. 12, 2025, and could not independently verify how the novel had been written before that date.

The publisher argued that its role was not to demand proof from authors, but to stand by them, leaving readers to decide whether to purchase the book.

Orélien, meanwhile, said in a statement released through Boréal on Tuesday that he had nothing to prove to those making accusations against him.

The author has denied using AI to write the novel, saying he began working on it in 2017 and completed a first draft of more than 300 pages in 2019.

The controversy has had other consequences. The novel was removed from the running for France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt earlier this month amid allegations of AI use and separate plagiarism allegations involving Orélien’s earlier writings.

Orélien acknowledged plagiarism in some of his previous work in his statement Tuesday, apologizing for what he described as unacceptable mistakes in his youth, while maintaining that no sentence in his novel was generated by a machine.

Boréal suspended promotional activities surrounding the novel in September, citing concerns for the author’s well-being, but confirmed on Wednesday that it would continue selling the book in the absence of definitive findings about the AI allegations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.