2172: Para

In June we lost a popular 40. Clockwise round the grid from 3 run the titles of two of his works (2,5,2,4,4,5,9 and 4,3,4,2,8). A third title (three words) appears at 2. The 40’s name will appear in the completed grid together with another linked name: these linked names (nine squares in total) must be shaded. Corner letters could make LOW MISS RALLY.
 

Across

 
8    Conductor presents a new poem meant to be sung (5)
9    Feature universal in backs almost tanned (7)
10    Dismissed opener for England back in pavilion (8, two words)
12    Market’s sound comestibles (4)
14    Go ape (7, two words)
15    Pea-like plant painter pruned (3)
16    Obscure name holding doctor back (8)
19    One local author let out of confinement (5)
20    More like some rock A-lister plays (7)
21    Confine seabird after extremes of excretion (5)
23    Oscar made it up (3)
26    Friendly knight dropped formality (3)
30    Mendicant friars run into rich one (5)
32    In old meadow, breeze capsized plant (7)
33    Stew sardonic soldiers ingested (5)
34    Stolid cross fellow starts to eat uneatable stew (8, doubly hyphened)
35    Pusey’s rite (3)
36    City man leaves for another (7)
39    Edible pods on large vessel heading west (4)
41    School indeed impounds knife (7)
42    Admirable portrait conceited lad keeps at home (5, hyphened)
 

Down

 
1    Value of strategy (4)
3    Imagined fish swallowed daughter (7)
4    Poet’s wall in Spain oddball climbs over (4)
5    Scots give and take rubbishy goods for two rupees (8, hyphened)
6    Part payment in money securing dear bananas (7, hyphened)
7    Baleful lass cut Helen up (6)
11    Author’s bowwow crossing lake … (5)
13    … to see red and black bird (5)
17    What’s fink doing, removing grass in meadow? (3)
18    Tot could make Charlie sit up and purr (10, two words)
22    Bristle with rage leading dog (8, hyphened)
24    Newt previously flourished in bottle (5)
25    Game endless clerics institute (7)
27    Drink partisan talked about (5)
28    Cardinal against having wife (3)
29    Set small boat on great lake (7)
31    Half of jet set seldom fly (6)
37    Has dog annexed slice of cake? (4)
38    Churchwarden standing for recorder? (4)
 
A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 11 August.