Health and hospitals are hot topics never far from the headlines, so no surprise that they feature in this year's Wells Festival of Literature.

Starting with Emily Kenway at the festival's opening weekend on 28 October, the author delves into the hidden crisis of caregiving with a personal story. Her book – Who Cares – explores the shortfall in caring, a situation she faced in looking after her own mother and that is shared by one in eight people in the UK.

The following day Dr Jim Down offers an inside glimpse into intensive care medicine as he talks about his own book Life in the Balance.

With humility laced by a doctor's streak of dark humour, he covers his experience of such headline-grabbing cases as the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko by Russian agents and the horrific aftermath of a train crash.

The rewards, challenges and daily mundane struggle to find enough beds are all in his stories of the intensive care unit where split-second decisions can make the difference between life and death.

Isabel Hardman, assistant editor of The Spectator, continues the theme in Fighting for Life, a consideration of the battles the NHS faces in its 75th year.

Is the NHS a national treasure or lumbering piece of state machinery? She tells her story through the people who keep it alive – from doctors, nurses, patients and politicians.

And finally, Kimberley Wilson takes a look at the links between diet, brain behaviour and mental health in her new book Unprocessed.

The psychologist and co-host of Radio 4's health science podcast, Made of Stronger Stuff, considers how the food we eat affects our brain and how it is fuelling our mental health crisis.

Her talk takes place on the last day of the festival Saturday 4 November.

So, plenty of food for thought in this small sample of speakers at the festival which runs from 27 October to 4 November at Cedars Hall in Wells. Visit www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk for tickets and more information, or call 01749 834483.