People 8/3

Knopf president Reagan Arthur has issued the next of her retirement memos, this time acknowledging senior editor Ann Close, who will retire in December. She began in 1970 in the copyediting department.

Knopf editor-in-chief Jordan Pavlin says in a release, “For 53 years, Ann Close has been the embodiment of Knopf. With her elegance, her exquisite taste, her unfailing care, and a meticulously curated list of authors with whom she has worked for decades, she has helped to usher into the world some of the greatest literature and poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries. It has been an enormous privilege to work beside her, and her impact at Knopf will be felt for years and years to come.”

Jonathan Jao will rejoin the adult trade imprint on October 2, as vice president and editorial director, reporting to Priscilla Painton. He has been executive editor at Harper.

Kim Suarez has been promoted to executive editor.

Susan Randol has been promoted to executive editor.

Shara Underweiser has been promoted to senior production editor.

Bethany Reis has been promoted to senior production editor/managing editor.

Danielle Drenth has joined as senior marketing associate for Callisto Publishing.

Valerie Frankel has joined as an agent.

The company is creating a centralized audio team. Group rights and audio director Rebecca Folland will lead the division, as Dominic Gribben and Sarah Shrubb have been promoted to audio director under her.

Tonia Addison has been promoted to director, marketing & publicity, reporting to Erin Kelly.

Alexa Tajanlangit will join the office services team as office services clerk.