HUNTER-GATHERING, Bletchley Park, eloquence and cats . . . it’s an eclectic spread of discussions yet to be explored by masters of the written word in Taunton’s 2013 Literary Festival.

The celebration of all things literary may now have entered its final stretch, but there’s a wealth of talent – including two big hitters – still to speak.

With a quarter of a million copies sold of his own Bletchley book, features writer Sinclair McKay was lassooed in to produce a graphic history of the Enigma code-cracking centre, The Lost World of Bletchley Park.

The talk is today (Thursday) at 7.30pm at the Museum of Somerset.

Years spent crossing the world on foot schooled Ffyona Campbell in the art of foraging.

Campbell returns to humanity’s roots in her talk, Hunter-Gatherer Way: Putting Back the Apple, at 6pm this Friday at Brendon Books in Taunton’s Bath Place.

Best-selling animal behaviouralist John Bradshaw follows at 7.30pm with Cat Sense.

On Saturday, former Conservative Cabinet Minister Douglas Hurd will sit opposite festival founder Lionel Ward to delve into Disraeli: The Two Lives with a live Q&A session at the Castle Hotel from 11am.

Broadcaster Peter Snow then seizes the Castle from 6.30pm to delve into his new work, When Britain Burned the Whitehouse.

The former foreign correspondent for ITV will scotch the notion of the US-UK special relationship to explore a time when America and Britain were bitter enemies.

For both Saturday talks a meal with the author, including wine and a talk ticket, is available on 01823-328303.

Come Monday, Sophia Waugh, grand-daughter of novelist Evelyn and daughter of writer and journalist Auberon, will whet appetites with her look into the impact of food writing with Cooking People: The Writers Who Taught The English How to Eat, at 6pm.

A dapper Mark Forsyth then peddles his theory that when it comes to speaking it’s not what you say, but how you say it, that counts, at 7.30pm.

Both writers speak at Brendon Books.

English crime writer Gerald Hurley and educator Gervase Phinn have the challenge of rounding off the festival in style at Taunton School chapel in Staplegrove Road with Hurley dipping into latest thriller Touching Distance at 6pm) and Phinn looking at his novel, The School Inspector Calls, at 7.30pm.

Visit tauntonliteraryfestival.net to book tickets.