‘40/37/1A’, as he has been called, was born in 28 (two words) and died in 30/36. He was a reluctant ‘guest’ at 16’s twenty-seventh birthday party. 22 and 40 combine to form an anagram of the name of one of his works, while the puzzle’s title suggests the name of another. His surname appears as a clued light and must be shaded.
Across
5 English poet has women quite turned on (6)
9 Passing vet can see ninety bats (10)
14 Rex’s hairdo (3)
17 Dutch archbishop pirouetting in formal garb (5)
18 Film star Peter upset a swashbuckling one? (5)
20 Backward journo needling woke Oscar winner? (7)
24 Chapel snubbed old stargazer (7)
25 Roman coins careless actuaries cast away (5)
26 Independent artist hoarding books within (5)
31 Group of plants starts to attract large toucan and eagle (7)
33 Amateur manoeuvre is uncoordinated (7)
38 Decision about lunar area (5)
39 Cotton yarns (fifty inches) (6)
41 Gloomy chap gripped by vile narcotic (10)
42 Lord vexed Indian city (6)
Down
1 Silly hat Curie reshaped in Montessori’s style (13)
2 Scholar cut chatter (5)
3 Language of big buzzing city – fine words mostly (6)
4 Charlie in Tom’s carriage (5, hyphened)
6 Athletic Samoan rhino always climbing watchtower (7)
7 Aristos edging round quondam louts (6)
8 Slave personnel regularly ignored (4)
10 Zap a green bug (6)
11 Holes in supertanker natural killer’s left sabotaged (9)
12 Further release revealed nicer playing (13)
13 Waistcoat fabric popular among gents? (8)
15 Ponder anew about wasted krona (7)
19 Watch over mobile stomatic thing (9, two words)
21 Girl chewed orange peel GP binned (8)
23 Seaside town featuring pond with big boat on it (7)
27 Tapir doesn’t finish stick insects it eats (7)
29 Machines I’m out mending in exchange for money (6)
32 Military show pony (6)
34 Fruit some opsomaniac...
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