France’s Fall Publishing Season: Thélyson Orélien Emerges as a Literary Phenomenon

Appearing out of nowhere, writer Thélyson Orélien is shaking up the literary season with his first novel, C’était ça ou mourir, the odyssey of a migrant from Haiti to Canada that has been praised by both critics and readers.

“This success is astonishing. I am surprised by what is happening to me, but it makes me very happy,” Thélyson Orélien told AFP while in the middle of promoting his book in France, where it was released on August 20.

Already, C’était ça ou mourir ranks among the best-selling books of the literar