July 2024 Crossword Centre Prize Puzzle

White Label by Henri

PDF version

All clues either generate an extra letter of wordplay or are one letter short; in order, extra and missing letters spell a clue to the title of a 20th century classic (three words). In the completed grid highlight a thematic location (18 cells).

Across

    1    Australian native's A$5, year's advance payment by quality (13, two words)

    10    Saw little in South Dakota (6)

    11    Rambling storyteller's set of three, one running away (6)

    12    Short operation by nationalist getting ready in Ayr earlier (4)

    15    Nick and people in general returning documents (5)

    16    Bar snacks left out, beginning to upstage Spain (7)

    18    Artist Joan keeping two slices of chicken in oven briefly (5)

    20    Athletic club next to a certain volcanic hill (4)

    21    Brussels with fermented taro root paste leading to frenzied outburst (4)

    22    Foolish, old, inept - somehow pursuing popular independence (9)

    24    Possibly enough said by William - the girl's exasperated for a start (4)

    26    Half of monkey bread tree covered in coat of emulsion yielding rare wood (4)

    27    Case of ketosis after drugs produced vapours (5)

    28    Exposed allergen mutating in part of ship (7)

    31    Tall bird and small birds travelling west (5)

    32    Spread small portion over (4)

    34    Mysterious faerie not following garden creature (6)

    35    Shorthand by Fife’s own journalist made better a while ago (6)

    36    Dad consumes second cooked jellyfish (13)

 Down

  1    Home Counties fellow thought about Iceland, gave himself bad reputation (11, two words)

    2    Pioneering Japanese politician's brief time's over (3)

    3    Relative's vote against penning article (4)

    4    Deplorable criminal baron 'Il Duce' is quotable (9)

    5    Dated people in northern square (4)

    6    Case of heir dismissing outsiders, time to go (5)

    7    Shakespeare's children are protecting writer (5)

    8    Praise Scottish island after birdsong finished early (7)

    9    ISS considers unexpected cancellations (11)

    10    Infiltrating wartime paramilitary, Harry Lime making comparisons (7)

    13    Crosses Germany having issue (4)

    14    Cameron's advance in excellent city previously (9)

    17    Cuckoo clock department shelled (7)

    19    More than one effeminate man from firm is taking nap? No thanks (7)

    23    Wandering soldier ignored sins (4)

    25    Lesbian ball game no longer in the place cited (5)

    26    Topless Scandinavian once showing up for creative inspiration (5)

    29    Large eastern European shipping waterway (4)

    30    Nurse cycling for a very long time (4)

    33    Unproductive measure of yarn (3)

To enter this competition, send your entry as an image or in list format, explaining the highlighted cells,  to ccpuzzles@talktalk.net before 8^th August 2024. The first correct entry drawn from the hat will receive a book from the Chambers range, which has been donated by Chambers