Thélyson Orélien has abandoned efforts to compile evidence supporting his denial that artificial intelligence was used to write his novel, “C’était ça ou mourir” (“It was either that or dying”), his publisher, Éditions du Boréal, has confirmed, per cbc.ca.
The decision leaves questions over the book’s origins unresolved, even as Boréal continues to sell it. In an email to The Canadian Press, the publisher attributed comments to its co-director, Renaud Roussel, who said the house had supported the Quebec author in the process, “which he chose to end”.
“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,” Roussel said. He added that the initiative had come from Orélien rather than the publisher, and that Boréal’s position had not changed.
Orélien did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his decision.
In September, Boréal said it was working with Orélien to compile a detailed record of his work on the manuscript before it was submitted. Orélien had told French outlet Libération that he was gathering evidence with his publishers in France and Quebec.
In a statement released Wednesday, Boréal said it received the manuscript on September 12, 2025, and could not independently verify how the novel was written before that date. It said its role was not to demand proof from authors but to stand by them, leaving readers to decide whether to buy the book.
Orélien said in a statement issued through Boréal on Tuesday that he had nothing to prove to his accusers. He denies using AI, saying he began the novel in 2017 and completed a first draft of more than 300 pages in 2019.
He also acknowledged plagiarism in some earlier work, apologising for what he called unacceptable mistakes in his youth. He maintained that no sentence in the novel was generated by a machine.
The novel was removed from the running for France’s Prix Goncourt earlier this month amid the AI allegations and separate plagiarism claims involving his earlier writings. Boréal suspended promotional activities in September, citing concern for the author’s well-being, but confirmed on Wednesday that it would keep selling the book in the absence of definitive findings.
Boréal said sales have slowed since the controversy began, but declined to give figures. The book remains in bookshops, though it is out of stock at the publisher, with a new printing expected next week.
Floriane Claveau, a spokesperson for Quebec bookstore chain Renaud-Bray, said earlier this week that the retailer had seen no significant change in sales over recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec reported exceptionally high interest, with 1,713 reservations for the digital edition as of October 14. Spokesperson Claire-Hélène Lengellé said demand had stayed strong for several weeks.
•Featured image: C’était ça ou mourir/Frédéric Arnould/Radio-Canada