French writer held back by gravedigger (4)
I believe the answer is:
gide
'french writer' is the definition.
(Andre Gide)
'held back by gravedigger' is the wordplay.
'back by' says the letters should be written backwards.
'held' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'edig' can be found hidden inside 'gravedigger'.
'edig' written backwards gives 'GIDE'.
(Other definitions for gide that I've seen before include "Andre -, Fr. novelist" , "Andre --, French writer" , "Andre -, C Nineteen-twenty French author" , "Andre -, French novelist" .)