Weird email describing the Parisian, unknown old novelist (5,4)
I believe the answer is:
emile zola
'novelist' is the definition.
(I know that Emile Zola is a novelist)
'weird email describing the parisian unknown old' is the wordplay.
'weird' indicates anagramming the letters.
'describing' indicates putting letters inside (describe can mean to form the outline of).
'the parisian' becomes 'le' (definite article in French).
'unknown' becomes 'z' (algebra).
'old' becomes 'o' (common abbreviation eg in OE for Old English).
'email' is an anagram of 'emila'.
'le'+'z'+'o'='lezo'
'emila' going around 'lezo' is 'EMILE ZOLA'.
(Other definitions for emile zola that I've seen before include "French author" , ""Nana" author" , "Wrote J'Accuse in defence of Alfred Dreyfus" , "novelist" .)