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This article presents an unusual study of a reading group conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown, shutdown and social isolation. The international collectivity created through this reading community probed not only scholarly monographs but the nature of a celebrity intellectual. As the higher education sector suffers redundancies, cutbacks and restructures, how does the precariat adjunct academy manage the celebrity intellectual and Quit Lit? More importantly, what is the use of academic reading and writing in a PhD programme confronting a pandemic?

Recent studies have confirmed profound mental health concerns within PhD student cohorts. Phrases like 'imposter syndrome' pepper student narratives of their candidature. This article explores one intervention in this tale of mental health concerns, attrition and disappointment. Exploring a born-digital writing community termed the Write Bunch, we investigate how communities can be formed that enable support and success, compassion and excellence. This study is particularly noteworthy because the interruptions of COVID-19 were managed through already existing support structures.