How do I solve 9 across in Daily Telegraph Cryptic 31261?

Question

Accepted Answer

9 across reads "Maybe a literary essay, or what its author hopes to avoid?" (9 letters); the answer is CRITICISM. It's a double-definition clue: two separate definitions of the same word sit side by side. No wordplay split and no indicators — both halves of the clue define the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Maybe a literary essay, or what its author hopes to avoid? (9)

9A — Maybe a literary essay, or what its author hopes to avoid? (9) — CRITICISM