Knight -- alias covering fine author (5)
I believe the answer is:
kafka
'author' is the definition.
(Kafka is an example)
'knight alias covering fine' is the wordplay.
'knight' becomes 'k'.
'alias' becomes 'aka' ('a.k.a.' can be a synonym of 'alias').
'covering' indicates putting letters inside.
'fine' becomes 'f' (abbreviation).
'aka' placed around 'f' is 'afka'.
'k'+'afka'='KAFKA'
(Other definitions for kafka that I've seen before include "Czech novelist who wrote in German" , "Franz -, Czech novelist (The Castle)" , "Novelist's" , "Franz -, Austrian novelist (The Trial)" , "Czech author of The Trial, d.1924" .)