4 down
Serious
English
or
Irish
novelist
(6)
Serious English or Irish novelist (6)
hints
0
checks
0
hints
The definition is at the end of the clue.
How the clue works
Look at Irish novelist — that's your definition, pointing to Laurence Sterne. You get there by taking STERN (serious) and tacking on E (the standard abbreviation for English).