"On the Beach" author (5)
I believe the answer is:
shute
'on the beach author' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for shute that I've seen before include "Nevil --, novelist and engineer" , "Nevil -, author (A Town Like Alice)" , "Nevil --, novelist (A town like Alice)" .)