In E.M.Forster's HOWARDS END, LEONARD BAST died of heart failure when a bookcase collapsed onto him. Six names of authors or words defining forms of writing 'fell onto him' in the grid and one was to be (appropriately) dropped from every clue. Their initial letters instructed solvers to SHADE TITLE OF NOVEL WHOSE EPIGRAPH APPEARS AT TWO ACROSS. The epigraph of HOWARDS END was ONLY CONNECT.

 

Across: 11 STORY: TU + TEE, 12 HARDY: HELICAL* + A, 13 ANNUAL: [l]ETHAL, 16 DANTE: hidden rev., 17 EDDA: AGA less A in IRAN all rev., 18 TRACT: HOMO changing to MOHO, 20 INSTITUTES: DRAW (rev), 21 THESIS: S + END + S, 23 LEDGER: TO in WAGES (S cycled to front), 25 EDITORIAL: SAUT[erne], 27 OMNIBUS: (FAMILIES ELECT)*, 29 FICTION: A after MAY, 32 NOVEL: CREATOR*, 34 ORDINAL: O M + first letters, 36 VOLUME: TABLE less T, 37 ESSAYS: 2 meanings, 39 LONDON: MIR[e] + R in S[uburb]S, 41 WILDER: [Mao]I[sts], 44 HYMNAL: AV + A + I[n]  + L, 45 OSSIAN: (ORIGINALLY less O G(reek))*, 46 SATIRE: M[alicious] + IFFY.

 

Down: 1 EPIC: S[ide]S round TEAM, 2 EDITION: [b]OUT[s] + DO, 3 POUND: LEAS + O + W + E, 4 ISSUE: Y + ELT, 5 GRAVES: CAR + R, 6 RECORD: DNA rev in (ma)NHU(nt), 7 ANTHOLOGY: E + LOGES, 8 PSALTER: L in CE + A + N(oncomformists), 9 HISTORY: TEACHER less CHE, 10 ANNALS: ATO[M]IST*, 14 PAD: FIN round ORE CAB, 15 PRIMER: GRIEFS + A*, 19 EPISTLE: HOLY less E, 20 APPARATUS: SOFTWARE less O*, 22 REPORTS: DUE round L, 24 STUDY: MATE*, 26 ATLAS: Hidden, 28 TREASURY: MORA + VIA, 29 TEXT: 2 meanings, 30 WELLS: A + RR + Y Iin O(kavang)O, 31 OCTAVO: FA around ASCI, 33 ANNUAL: REALLY*, 35 CATALOGUE: BILE around B(itterness), 38 READING: 2 meanings, 40 ONIONS: 2 meanings, 42 SHUTE: S[tone] + AND, 43 SWEET: LA + MB.