Author O'Brien (4)
I believe the answer is:
edna
'author o'brien' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for edna that I've seen before include "Female Dane, oddly" , "___ O'Brien, Irish novelist, b. 1930" , "Barry Humphries' Dame" , "Dame - Everage, housewife-superstar" , "- O'Brien, Irish writer" .)