Author defends novel against plagiarism claims
Thélyson Orélien has responded to allegations that his novel C'était ça ou mourir was written using artificial intelligence and contains plagiarized content. In a statement sent to AFP titled "Ce roman que j'ai écrit," Orélien denied the claims, insisting that "no sentence" of the novel was generated by AI and calling the accusations a "slander and heresy."Admits to plagiarism errors
Orélien acknowledged making "unacceptable errors" by plagiarizing texts from recognized authors after he moved to Canada. He described these instances as mistakes rather than intentional acts of theft, though the allegations have led to significant controversy around his work.Novel excluded from major award
The novel, which follows the journey of a migrant between Haiti and Canada, was removed from the Goncourt prize selection following the accusations. However, it remains eligible for other literary awards, including the Renaudot, which has not excluded it from consideration.Promotional tour interrupted
Orélien returned to Canada in late September, cutting short his promotional tour for the book. The tour had begun in France in early September, with plans to continue promoting the novel in Paris and other regions. His return comes amid ongoing scrutiny of his work.Plagiarism claims span years
The accusations against Orélien include texts published more than ten years ago in Quebec, where he has lived since 2010 after fleeing Haiti. Despite these claims, Orélien continues to strongly deny the use of artificial intelligence in the writing of his best-selling book.
