Spectator N0 2657 - Out The Back By Fieldfare

[Matakari]

Good evening, help for the following should give me a glimpse of the author and title of his book. Thanks in advance!

24a       Theatre blessed to employ young singers (7) : ?R?????

28a       Beat poet’s first chanced on in soft glow (7)  :  ?A?????

4d         Pouch not quite all of 9 (5) : SC???

5d          Marble spot in garden paving (7) : TE?????

15d   From outfitter, hire motley Fool put on (8) : T???H?E?  

18 d    Sprayer: German count and duke employing it (10) : ???F?I?G?T

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, I'm skipping the hints stage as no-one's worked for you on a recent puzzle!

24 Trebles, in the clue.

28 Lamplit

4 Scrip (relating to the clue at 9)

15 Clothier

18 Graffitist

Here's hoping this batch does the trick...

[newmodarmy]

terraceou missed 5d neveracrossowrd.

I'm guessing terrace- I can see spot= trace but I'm not sure where the ER comes from -presumably marble?

[Neveracrossword]

NMA, ta. I'd stuck Terrace in this morning, without thinking- but thought I should check it, the parsing, before giving it to Matakari. I still haven't checked Er, life intervened! 

[newmodarmy]

Er= erbium in periodic table, may explain it

[newmodarmy]

or maybe not- I can't find a link between Erbium and marble

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, NMA, something more specific would be good(even though I'll settle for my answer anyway!).

[scorpiojo]

Terrace is a defective spot in marble (Chambers)

[newmodarmy]

thanks

[scorpiojo]

Welcome 

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Scorpio - I might even remember that for the future! 

Matakari, I hope you now have a glimpse of the author and his (or her?) book.....

[scorpiojo]

Welcome, NAC.

[Matakari]

Good day, thanks, I thought this was going to be plain sailing from here on. Much literary material jumped at me, but my search still came up empty. Confirmation for the following Unclueds would be appreciated.

ACROSS:

17 CIRCE  20 ARMOIRE  21 SYCORAX   26 MEDEA

DOWN:

3 ARCHER  7 VIRGIL  29 ALMIRAH  30 SCALES  33 CLOSET

My thoughts ran immediately on VIRGIL and one of his works... Help needed here, thanks!

[JJ109]

7 Virgin (Virgo)

[JJ109]

All the other unclueds are correct

[Neveracrossword]

Sorry to hear about the rough seas, Matakari! Never mind, it'll soon be time for another Doc.

[Matakari]

Many thanks, JJ109, an idea of the three UNCLUEDS that suggest the three elements of the title?

[JJ109]

1. Think of another one of the 12 like archer, scales and virgin

2 what are Medea, Circe and Sycorax

3 What are closet almirah and armoire 

[Matakari]

Thanks, JJ109, I'm trying to see if I can work out the importance of the given signs of the Zodiac, the mythological witches, and the cabinets. And how they lead to the title of the work.

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, there's a very very famous book (series of books) that has  The   ...,  the  Witch and the 'synonym' for cabinet, armoire etc...in its title. Another option would be to check the grid, in a fairly common position, for a very famous auther.

[Matakari]

Got the author! Looking for the title in the grid now...