The event series "Seismograf - Oldenburger Poetikgespräche über Kinder- und Jugendliteratur" focuses on the poetological premises of writing for children and young people, but also on the social contexts and aims of writing. The question of the functions of children's and young adult literature in contemporary society - both in terms of the social and the literary-aesthetic dimension - thus becomes virulent and forms the basis for an exchange with authors and media professionals from the field of children's and young adult literature.

The Seismograph is a reorganisation of the Oldenburg Poetry Lectures, which have been organised by the Oldenburg Research Centre for Children's and Young Adult Literature and the Institute for German Studies at the University of Oldenburg since 2004. Guests have included Paul Maar, Kirsten Boie, Mirjam Pressler, Andreas Steinhöfel and the comic artist Flix.

One of the aims of the reorganisation is not only to talk about the poetics of children's and young adult literature within the university and a seminar, but also to reach people outside the university context who are interested in children's and young adult literature. In co-operation with the Oldenburg House of Literature, two consecutive events are offered each summer:

1. reading & discussion (evening event in Wilhelm 13)

2. podcast recording with students (subsequently available here on the website)

The series of talks kicked off in summer 2023 with a visit from Austrian children's and young adult author Elisabeth Steinkellner. In summer 2024, Tamara Bach came to Oldenburg for the Poetry Talks.