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This is not as hard as it looks at first. However I have 4 of the "extra phrases" in the across clues, and it's clear what they mean. I've found a 5th, but don't understand its meaning, and the 6th eludes me completely. Across clue numbers with the extra phrases might be exchanged?

The phrases themselves have no meaning until treated as per the instruction from the down letters. You'll wind up with 3 words, each appearing twice.

I had COPULAE for the 5th one. I now see the error. Happily I had worked out what was wanted without fully finding all the extra words. Not sure about the bloke underneath though - I recall two possibilities from my schooldays.

I thought I had this sussed. I have the theme word and author. I treated the 6 across clues with extra phrases in the way suggested by their 'single words' and thought that would be it, but I don't have real words left. Obviously I'm missing something. Hmmm.

Deadlypun, when you have ascertained the 'new' words, it is the grid that has to be amended, not the clues.

I'm still not sure why these specific six across clues were chosen for the extra phrases. I have assumed that all of rows 2 to 11 had to lose their first and last letters. Is that correct?

Sorry, dorsetjan, I meant that I'd treated the answers to the clues in the way suggested by the 'single words'. However, doing that seems to leave isolated letters (the 3rd letter of 8D for example) and 18D and 31D are nonsensical. No doubt the PDM will eventually arrive, but I'm darned if I can work it out at the moment!

You have to treat the entire grid in the manner suggested by the three words obtained from the six extra phrases from the across clues. Then look at the position of the two barred-off cells to see how they would fit into a longer word. This longer word is the key to the two works. The two different versions of the grid represent the exact titles. Hope this helps without giving too much away.

I might add, it is quite helpful to look up the 3 words in Chambers and consider how to apply their definitions to the grid. That was when the penny dropped all the way for me.

I have the title, author and the two works. I have now decided to erase the first and last row and column. Should I be looking further? I'm still not convinced I've removed sufficient letters.