The French literary season continues to smile on Thélyson Orélien. After the Goncourt, the Goncourt des Lycéens and the Renaudot, his first novel, C’était ça ou mourir, has now been included in the first selection for the 2026 Prix Femina, announced this Tuesday, September 8. The jury selected 17 French novels and 16 foreign novels. The writer’s book is also among the ten titles selected for the Prix Femina des Lycéens. This new selection brings to twelve the number of competitions in which C’était ça ou mourir is still in the running, after winning three prizes.

The novel follows Jonas Dorléon, a history and geography teacher forced to flee gang violence in Port-au-Prince. His migratory journey takes him from the Dominican Republic to Brazil, then to Mexico, before crossing the Darién jungle on his way to Canada. Through this character, Thélyson Orélien addresses notably exile, violence and migration journeys.