Nine novels are in contention for the Renaudot Prize, including Orelie's.

Among the nine selected novels are also "Minotaure" by Boris Bergmann, "Nos vies sauvages" by Hemley Boum, and "Le Palais" by François-Henri Désérable. The Renaudot Prize jury is chaired by Frédéric Beigbeder and includes members such as Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Dominique Bona, and Patrick Besson.

Thélyson Orélien has contested these accusations, stating that he did not use AI to write his novel. Although the book was withdrawn from the Goncourt Prize selection and excluded from the Femina Prize, it continues its run for the Renaudot.

The jury has kept "C'était ça ou mourir" among the nine novels in competition for this new stage before announcing the winner on November 3. The Renaudot Prize had awarded Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre's novel "Je voulais vivre" in 2025.