Falade loses $2m deal over unverified manuscript provenance — Nation Kenya

Nigerian writer Jerry Falade has lost a $2 million deal to publish his debut novel, Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body. His agents said they could no longer verify how the manuscript developed from its initial version to completion. Nation Kenya reports.

Minotaur, an imprint owned by Macmillan US, had planned to publish the book in 2028. According to the publication, when submitting the manuscript, the agents discussed with the author the possible use of artificial intelligence in the writing or editing process and initially believed his assurances that AI had not been used for this purpose.

The manuscript was withdrawn

In August, the agents sent publishers a letter stating that they could not reliably establish the full history of the manuscript’s creation. They withdrew the book while describing its text as outstanding and expressing regret over the reaction caused by the situation.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Europa agency initially decided not to use AI-detection programs because Falade’s explanations were considered clear and convincing. However, after a meeting on July 29, 2026, when certain details of the author’s account changed, the agency ended its cooperation with him, citing the need to have complete trust in the writer.

Debate over AI in literature

Nation Kenya cites Falade’s case among other controversies over the possible use of artificial intelligence in literature. Caine Prize chair Ella Wakatama said the organization is considering allegations concerning the 2026 prize winner, Zimbabwean writer Simbarashe Kundzedu, using a human-centered approach rather than relying solely on software detectors. According to her, such tools, including Pangram, are not infallible.