In the Media

Stories about family, courage, and the moments that test us have a way of finding their readers. Here, journalists and reviewers share the conversations they have had with R. Suleman: how and why he started his writing journey, about the pandemic that inspired When the World Held Its Breath, the grandchildren who started it all, and why he believes family is life’s greatest gift and strength.

Literary Titan Book Award 2026 · New York Weekly · Literary Titan · USA Weekly Post · San Francisco Today

New York Weekly — Feature Article

“When the World Held Its Breath, We Learned Who We Were” ·

March 7, 2026

A moving portrait of how a retired fighter pilot, working a farm and watching his grandchildren disappear into glowing screens, began writing stories for them, and how surviving COVID-19 alongside his wife, while close friends were lost, became the heart of his first adult novel.

“This was never a story about a virus. It was a story about what holds when everything else loosens.”
‍ ‍— New York Weekly

Literary Titan — Book Review

“When the World Held Its Breath, We Learned Who We Were” ·

February 16, 2026 ·

Literary Titan’s reviewers followed the Harrison family from their comfortable suburban rhythm to the ICU and back, praising the novel’s day-to-day honesty and its long, uneven road to recovery.

“If you want a grounded story about how a crisis breaks a family open and then, slowly, helps stitch them back together, this one will land.”
‍ — Literary Titan

Literary Titan — Author Interview

“When the World Held Its Breath, We Learned Who We Were” ·

February 21, 2026

After the award, Literary Titan sat down with R. Suleman to talk about writing Laura’s ICU storyline, the conversations he hopes to start about misinformation and trust, and the novel he is writing next.

“I began with the emotional arc of a family under pressure, not the idea of writing a pandemic novel. The pandemic was the circumstance—the crucible—but the heart of the story has always been the family.”
‍ ‍— R. Suleman, in Literary Titan

USA Weekly Post — Author Interview

In a wide-ranging, twenty-five-question conversation, R. Suleman opens up about the ordinary family at the center of the novel, the chapter he rewrote again and again, and the times he had to step away from the manuscript because the memories were too close.

“The most difficult chapter was when Laura regains consciousness after her illness but doesn’t recognize David. When David goes to see her and she asks, ‘Who are you? Are you my doctor?’ I felt that must have been absolutely devastating for him.”
‍ ‍— R. Suleman, in USA Weekly Post

San Francisco Today — Author Interview

Terms and Conditions Apply: Promises vs. Reality

It began with a granddaughter who was certain her messages were perfectly safe. San Francisco Today explores how a grandfather with a lifetime in advanced technology turned that conversation into a book every teenager, and parent, should read before they click “send.”

“When I finished the book and gave it to my granddaughter, she came to me and said, ‘Oh, Grandpa, I’ve written such-and-such things to my friends. What will happen now?’”
‍ — R. Suleman, in San Francisco Today

Woman’s Week

Author Wins Literary Titan Award for Pandemic-Inspired Novel

October 28, 2026 by Woman's Week Contributor

R. Suleman’s novel When the World Held Its Breath has won the Literary Titan Award 2026. The article tells how he began writing stories for his grandchildren, and how he and his wife’s own illness during the pandemic led to a novel about the strength families find in hard times. His book has been discussed in New York Weekly, USA Weekly Post, and SF Today.

“When all is lost, family keeps us going”
— R. Suleman