Crossword Genius

Sit around next to a storyteller (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

aesop

'storyteller' is the definition.
(Aesop is an example)

'sit around next to a' is the wordplay.
'sit' becomes 'pose' (as in sitting for a painter).
'around' is a reversal indicator.
'next to' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'pose' reversed gives 'esop'.
'esop' after 'a' is 'AESOP'.

(Other definitions for aesop that I've seen before include "A pose of famed fable teller" , "he wrote in Greek" , "Great Greek teller of animal fables" , "Fable-teller" , "Author of many fables" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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