TVNZ 7’s NZ Book Month: The Good Word Debate is set to shine with its panel of New Zealand literary geniuses, and rouse opinion with its moot – We Still Need The Great New Zealand Novel.

Filmed in Auckland's St Matthews Church, Emily Perkins (novelist and The Good Word host) will argue the affirmative alongside a pair of renowned playwrights, Auckland's Roger Hall and Wellington's Jo Randerson. Disputing against the proposition will be Finlay Macdonald (The Good Word reporter and Talk Talk presenter), Selina Tusitala Marsh (poet and academic) and Steve Braunias (writer/columnist).

Moderating on the evening will be New Zealand's favourite commentator, Te Radar.

TVNZ 7 is proud to be a partner in this year's NZ Book Month, which aims to celebrate our unique literary voice. Boosting the profile of New Zealand authors is the key to extending the readership of our local writers.

Eric Kearley, TVNZ's General Manager of Digital Services, expresses that this is an aspiration that TVNZ 7 and NZ Book Month hope to achieve through a series of events, including this debate.

"As national interest broadcaster we take great pride in showcasing our home grown talents. TVNZ 7 also encourages the wellbeing benefits stimulated by reading," says Kearley. "I would like to thank NZ Book Month for allowing us to partner with them, and also congratulate them on their foresight in entering this project, which recognises our deserving talent."

Colin Hogg, Producer of The Good Word, will take the production reigns for this special.

"Once we settled on the idea of a debate as The Good Word's way of marking New Zealand Book Month, we tossed around a few ideas, such as the impact of new technology on books, or whether New Zealand books and writers were an endangered species," says Hogg. "We then decided to cut straight to the heart of the matter with 'We Still Need the Great New Zealand Novel.'"

The idea of NZ Book Month is to get New Zealand readers reading books from our own backyard, which NZ Book Month Project Director, Michele Powles, says this debate will help achieve.

"This new partnership with TVNZ 7 is great for NZ Book Month and the wider book industry. Heightening the profile of our Kiwi books and authors is part of the core focus for NZ Book Month," says Powles.