He showed some cleverness in writing (5)

I believe the answer is:

verne

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'he' is the definition.

'showed some cleverness in writing' is the wordplay.
'VERNE' is hidden within the letters.
But, I am not sure how the hidden word is indicated.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for verne that I've seen before include "Jules --, French author" , "Science-fiction writer" , "Jules --, French writer" , "Jules ..... wrote ` `20,000 Leagues under the Sea' '" , "See 27 Across" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app