On September 2, 2026, Pierre-Olivier Capéran, author of The Hallucinated, published by Éditions du Rouergue, reflected on the origins of his novel. Inspired by a text message from an old acquaintance and a mysterious stain on his windshield, the narrative evolved from a science fiction concept to a noir detective story, exploring themes of violence and human frailty. Capéran, who moved to Burgundy in 2020, wrote about a veterinarian in the Morvan region who experiences visions of a dystopian future through a strange stain. On September 28, 2026, the deaths of two notable literary figures were announced. Janine Boissard, a major figure of French popular literature, passed away. She was known for her family saga L'Esprit de famille and left behind nearly 70 years of writing. The same day, Scottish writer Peter May, known for the Lewis trilogy, died. He had been naturalized French in 2016 and left an important body of police fiction. On September 22, 2026, the deaths of two influential creators were announced. American illustrator Joshua Cassara, known for his work on X-Force, X-Men, and Deadpool/Wolverine at Marvel, died due to cardiac complications. The same day, Rodolphe, a major figure of comic book scriptwriting, died at 78, leaving behind over 200 albums and collaborations with various characters. On September 21, 2026, historian and novelist Jean-Paul Desprat died in Paris at 79. Known for works on the 17th and 18th centuries and the French Revolution, he was remembered for his scholarly contributions. The same day, the Institute of the Arab World in Paris announced a program to commemorate the heritage of poet Mahmoud Darwich, running from September 25 to 27. On September 15, 2026, American writer Annie Dillard, a major figure of nature literature and spiritual meditation, died at 81. She was known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning work Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and had been published in France by Christian Bourgois. On September 13, 2026, Yves Schlirf, the editor of XIII and other comics, was reported missing by editions Kana and Dargaud. His partner, Corine Jamar, and their two daughters, Eleni and Athina, were mentioned. On September 11, 2026, it was announced that the worldwide rights to Günter Grass's literary and essayistic work would be transferred to S. Fischer after Steidl's administration over the rights for over three decades.