Pushcart 2026 Nominations
After Dinner Conversation Announces Pushcart Prize Nominations
At After Dinner Conversation, we’re excited to announce our annual nominations for the Pushcart Prize, a celebration of some of the most thought-provoking and impactful stories we’ve had the honor of publishing this year.
What Is After Dinner Conversation?
After Dinner Conversation is a publication dedicated to short stories that spark ethical and philosophical conversations. Our mission is to publish fiction that isn't just entertaining—but intellectually engaging. Each story we feature is carefully selected for its ability to challenge perspectives, inspire dialogue, and stay with readers long after the final line. Whether it’s a speculative sci-fi tale or a contemporary moral dilemma, our stories are chosen for their power to ignite meaningful conversations… perhaps even after dinner.
About The Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is one of the most prestigious literary honors in the United States, recognizing the best poetry, short fiction, and essays published by small presses each year. Founded in 1976, the Pushcart Prize celebrates the spirit and significance of independent publishing, elevating voices that may not always be heard in mainstream literary outlets. Being nominated is a significant achievement—one that places a story among the best of the best in the world of small press literature.
Our 2026 Nominations
This year, we’ve selected six stories that exemplify the kind of bold, thoughtful storytelling we strive to publish. These pieces stand out not only for their literary quality but for the compelling ethical questions they raise and the conversations they inspire. Each of these stories invites readers to wrestle with nuanced questions of morality, society, and the human condition. We’re proud to stand behind them and honored to share them with a wider audience through our Pushcart nominations.
“Even Darker Place” by Kellen Hunnicutt — Issue 68, February 2026
A high-achieving brother struggles with his addicted sister insistence she can change by having a child.
“Facial” by Brooke Stanish — Issue 71, May 2026
A fourteen-year-old girl uses a nail file to physically carve a "beautiful" new face from her own.
“Mister Pete” by Michael Henson — Issue 74, August 2026
A teenage girl caring for her disabled grandmother is recruited to sell drugs by the school bus driver.
“The Bird Likes Kafka” by Clayton McMillan — Issue 76, October 2026
A drifter takes a teaching job at a Depression-era reform school for boys and is slowly corrupted.
“The Other Inbox” by Molly Quell — Issue 76, October 2026
A young woman gets a surprise email apology from the college professor she pursued and dated as a student.
“Where It Goes” by Babette Gallard — Issue 78, December 2026
In a world where physical pain can be sold, a sick woman pays someone to take hers.
Thank You To Our Authors and Readers
We are deeply grateful to our contributors, whose creativity and insight make After Dinner Conversation what it is. And to our readers—thank you for being part of a community that values literature with substance. Your support fuels our mission and keeps these important conversations going.
We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed as the Pushcart editors make their selections. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to revisit these standout stories and share them with others who appreciate fiction that challenges and enlightens.
Stay tuned—and keep the conversation going.
(Each respective issue can be purchased as a digital copy from our website, or wherever books are sold. Just search “After Dinner Conversation Magazine”)
