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26a Boorish type about to follow retiring giant (7)
G???A?H
Goliath?

7d Giants of literature and fantasy going head to head in paper (6,4)
T?I?E? R???
Toilet roll?

Eliot is a giant of literature (in one sense) and a troll is a giant of fantasy in another

Hog surrounding tail, all reversed

Thank you.
Is a hog a boorish type?
As for giant of literature to mean Eliot, that's one of those annoyingly unhelpful clues that's impossible to get from first principles, like using man to indicate 'Ted' or 'Dan' or whatever.

Chambers defines hog as an inconsiderate boor, inter alia, so yes

51d Character standing leaves to exercise joint (4) ?E?D
Looks like BEND, but don't see how to parse clue.

WELD

I is the standing character leaving WIELD (exercise)

Thanks