This Literary AI Scandal Changes Everything

Reflects on the May 2026 scandal in which 'The Serpent in the Grove' — credited to Jamir Nazir and named a regional winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, published on Granta's website — was widely accused of being AI-generated, with Granta then citing Claude as an arbiter of its authenticity; Vara argues the episode is a turning point that shifts the burden onto writers to prove their humanity and corrodes the trust that publishing and literary prizes have always relied on.