The novelist referred to in the crossword solution is Erich Segal, an American author, screenwriter, and educator. He is best known for his novel 'Love Story', which was adapted into a popular film of the same name. Segal wrote several other novels, including 'Oliver's Story' and 'DOCTORS'. He also wrote the screenplay for the film version of 'Love Story'. Segal was a professor of Latin literature at Yale University and Harvard University. He passed away in 2010.