The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ESSAYIST
E
S
S
A
Y
I
S
T
More clues leading to the result ESSAYIST
- Some articles say I stalked writer
- James, say, is terrifically entertaining writer
- Writer heading for exit perhaps is in the way
- Writer perhaps is in rare set
- Influence is held by established writer
- Art from French, for example, is beginning to thrill author
- Lamb maybe sits easy in a stew
- Writer with influence in fight, not right
- Writer in Cervantes, say, is talismanic
- One writing cryptic says, “I set”
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Alain de Botton, for instance" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case alain de botton, for instance = essayist.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ESSAYIST mean?
ESSAYIST noun- One who composes essays; a writer of short compositions.