Highbrows (8)
I believe the answer is:
literati
'highbrows' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for literati that I've seen before include "Learned people, men of letters" , "Well-read types" , "The intelligentsia interested in writing and reading" , "Educated book readers" , "Learned, well-read people" .)