He wrote music and started a book on a sculptor (7)
I believe the answer is:
borodin
'he wrote music' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'started a book on a sculptor' is the wordplay.
'started' says to take the initial letters.
'a sculptor' becomes 'rodin' (Auguste Rodin was a French sculptor).
The first letters of 'book on' is 'bo'.
'bo'+'rodin'='BORODIN'
'and' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for borodin that I've seen before include "Noteworthy chap" , "Russian composer (Prince Igor)" , "Russian composer, d. 1887" , "Prince Igor composer, d. 1887" , "Russian composer, Aleksandr Porfirevich (1834-87)" .)