Unclued lights are a set of literary 40s. Their creator is hidden in the grid and should be shaded. Elsewhere, ignore one accent.
Across
1 How ducks eat, billions in valley (6)
7 In college, record time to take degree (6)
11 Garden visitor, immature female, tiny size (10)
13 Cleave small, timid mammal (5)
14 Freeman’s compliance with new role (5)
15 Awaiting insurance, ripped off? (7, two words)
18 To live right by waterfall is capital (6)
19 Reject a tough fish (4)
22 Won’t stay to the end in rough pub (6)
24 So a Mister may become Misters (9)
25 Man enlisted in the back crew (5)
26 Unclean after showering? (5)
30 Most judicious appeal to romance (6)
33 Some awful name for army feature? (4)
36 From front of ship, spotted cutter (6)
39 Throbbing nose evades observation, being blown (7)
41 One vote against accepting Latin ornament (5)
42 Love of art almost losing friend (5)
43 Cavalryman’s weapon not initially getting regular going over (10)
44 Little cup to fasten round beast (6)
45 Our craft announced in Plymouth (6)
Down
1 Stop to oppose getting new head (6)
2 Instrumentalists’ rule stopping singer (5)
4 Before start of exam, grabbing books for course (6)
5 Collection taken without politician present (5)
6 Fail to retain fit state: sorcery! (9)
7 Primate travelling in Sardinia losing a couple of articles (6)
8 Curie introduced dye in the city (7)
9 Lyric poem is cut out from part of serial (5)
12 After that, men of North are stirred up (10, three words)
16 Undiscovered particle of ritual none can alter (10)
20 Twice cut by a slanting line (4)
23 Two chaps’ gleeful laugh (4, hyphened)
29 In taking of baths, damaging toe striking one end (7)
30 In the past, fool keeping stake in council abroad (6)
31 For small child, too much to wear something...
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