The theme word is 29 down, which defines each of the other unclued lights (including one of two words) in one way or another. All unclued lights are entered in a thematically appropriate manner.
Across
1 A posh French novelist covers good French region (8)
6 Divine sun? Relax, it’s most excellent (6)
10 Made sensual dancers lie with an eccentric (12)
12 I forgot to say, mouths itch (5)
13 Running up a tree to get clean (7)
15 Antelope, or a dozen before noon (6)
16 Captain and sailor suppressing laugh (4)
17 Passes comment without pens (8)
20 Raises tax in end of offshore shelters (8)
21 They keep notes with everything set out (7)
24 Prince of painters (3)
26 Joyful, casting off my sin (3)
28 Coffee from a harvest in India and Central America (7)
30 Run round in sierra, confusing muleteers (8)
34 Drugs treated BSE and colic (8)
35 Mix porridge (4)
36 Brighten up bird by lakes, one going west (6)
37 Bone’s massive, so on large creature’s back (7)
38 Poet’s closer to 7, oddly (5)
39 Where number is claimed to change outside of polygonal one (12, two words)
40 Black rook hiding in mown grass (6)
41 Cunning US composer’s records (8)
Down
2 A French agreement about accepting kiss is unappealing (6)
3 Almost make shilling for jewellery (6)
5 Most exposed den houses a fly (8)
6 Seasoned writer, English, breaks free (7)
7 Repeated period in service (5)
9 Old city’s timeless elite (6)
11 County runners taking pressure for us (9)
19 Dissident woman’s summons to return (7)
23 When copper gets left in French river containing vessels (8)
25 Spirits getting has-beens drunk (8)
30 Makes a fool of silly love poet, initially (6)
31 Destroyer behind Albania’s base (6)
32 Wanting to spoil church (6)
33 Wood loses volume, having less rain (5)
A first prize...
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