Crossword Genius

Writer due to finish surrounded by broken nibs! (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ibsen

'writer' is the definition.
(Ibsen is an example)

'due to finish surrounded by broken nibs' is the wordplay.
'to finish' says to take the final letters.
'surrounded by' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'broken' indicates an anagram.
The final letter of 'due' is 'e'.
'nibs' with letters rearranged gives 'ibsn'.
'e' put inside 'ibsn' is 'IBSEN'.

(Other definitions for ibsen that I've seen before include "not one for 'All work and no play ...'" , "Henrik -, dramatist from fourteen down (Hedda Gabler)" , "See 7 Down" , "6 24 113 [SCAN-DIN-AVIAN] writer" , "Norse playwright" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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