In Conversation with Kalika Padte

About Kalika Padte

Kalika is a student, writer and an emerging poet. She began writing at the age of 13. She is a deeply introspective, creative person and Eidolon is her debut poetry book. Her works reflect her ongoing engagement with literature as a tool for
understanding the self and the world, particularly in moments of emotional fracture and existential uncertainty. Kalika is currently pursuing her studies while continuing to write and develop future projects. Her forthcoming work moves increasingly toward prose and philosophical reflection, wanting to delineate lived experience and emotions.

LiFT: Tell us about your book, the journey of writing it, and its content.

Kalika Padte: Eidolon is and always will be a dream project. What started as a simple “How amazing would it be to publish?” turned into a year-long test of self-trust. My initial goal was a September 2025 launch for my birthday, but I could not make it to the determined timeline. By the time I launched my poetry page in August, I was deep in the manuscript phase, struggling with the perfectionist’s trap, the fear of leaving a voice out versus the need to avoid cluttering the work.
The months of October and November were hazy and skeptical. As an indie author with no initial help, I was reaching out into the void with very little response. It wasn’t until December 2025 that the momentum shifted. I submitted the manuscript with a heavy heart and lingering doubt, but the conviction and guidance I found through the publishing process at Notion Press was honestly significant for me as a beginner.
The book itself is structured into four sections of poetry and prose, exploring themes of longing, identity, and becoming. It concludes with a final section which consists of my personal notes on each piece, where I break down metaphors and highlights. From the first vision of the cover to the final ink on the page, Eidolon is proof of a journey I never believed I could complete, until I did.

LiFT: Why did you choose this title?

Kalika Padte: I initially titled the book ‘Amidst the Flares of Hope’ because hope, in its many forms, is a recurring anchor for my writing. However, I soon realized I needed something more definitive; a title that could capture the book’s soul in a single breath.
I chose Eidolon, a Greek term for an idealized mental image or a phantom. The book is structured through four sections, Aberration, Muse, Illumination and Treachery; each depicting a symbol that begins as a vivacious creation but eventually fades into a phantom of the mind. The temperament of the book is controlled by how identity is expressed in each section. Initially, identity is entangled with the muse, where the essence of one’s being becomes one with the muse, but then it persists independently.
The title bridges the physical and the intangible, much like the Greek statues it refers to. This is reflected in the front cover, which features a disintegrating Greek statue. It represents the eventual rupture of an idealized symbol, and the moment identity persists independently, long after the structure that made it meaningful has faded. For me, Eidolon is about how meaning survives even when the muse becomes a ghost.

LiFT: When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer, and what was your inspiration behind it?

Kalika Padte: Being a writer, honestly still feels like a dream to me.
As a child, I was terrified of open-ended questions; I thought deeply but struggled to put those thoughts into words. I feared I would always remain linguistically inadequate.
Until the tenth grade, when I met my teacher, Mr. Karanjia. He completely shifted my mindset toward learning and expressing eloquently. His immersion in the language became the catalyst for my growth, and within a year, my writing transformed from amateur verses into something intricate and vivid.
Another major turning point was when I started reading philosophy. It gave me the tools to verbalize my introspection and elucidate the nuances of my emotions. Philosophy solidified my expression, as it gave me a foundation for ideas pertaining to meaning and abstraction. Instead of seeking approval, writing became a deliberate act of scrutiny, an ‘art for becoming.’ My inspiration now stems from that ‘why’ behind every word; I no longer write to be palatable, but to explore the very essence of identity.

LiFT: Where do you see yourself ten years down the line in the world of literature?

Kalika Padte: Ten years ago, the thought of being a writer was just a dream; today, it is my reality. While a decade feels like a far-fetched horizon, the evolution of my work from poetry to prose over the last two years has been a deeply intentional transition. In Eidolon, I’ve experimented with monologic prose and a stream-of-consciousness style, and I see my voice continuing to evolve alongside my future self.
Currently, I write to dismantle emotional obscurity and understand the world through my own lens. Ten years from now, I see myself leaving a legacy as both a writer and a thinker, reaching readers who find a deep resonance in my work. For me, writing is a benediction that has transformed how I process and articulate life. My hope is to remain fully immersed in my craft, adapting my voice to the person I am yet to become, and continuing to produce books that challenge and connect.

LiFT: How important do you think marketing and the quality of a book are in promoting it and increasing its readership?

Kalika Padte: In my view, quality is the soul of a book, but marketing is the bridge that allows that soul to be seen. The right kind of marketing can truly make or break a work; it’s about showing up in the right literary circles and reaching an audience that truly resonates with your vision.
I have personally struggled with the “traditional” side of marketing. Early on, I was often advised to tone down my vocabulary and simplify my pieces to be understood. However, I refuse to sabotage my voice for the sake of mass appeal. I would rather be truly recognized by a niche audience that appreciates a distinct style than be vaguely liked by everyone.
It becomes especially difficult as an Indie author to build reach and to have people vouch for your work. I think my conviction in my work helps me to be more patient in the process of gaining the trust of authentic readers and Eidolon truly hopes to maximize this trust.
My approach to marketing, primarily through my Instagram poetry page (if_mirrors_could_talk) has been a journey of finding those specific readers. It isn’t just about ‘selling’ a book; it’s about building a community that values the ‘why’ behind the writing. For me, the goal of marketing is to find people who don’t just read my work, but who strengthen my voice by engaging with its complexity.

LiFT: What message do you want to convey to people through your writing?

Kalika Padte: Initially, Eidolon was purely a passion project, a compilation of pieces on longing, identity, and becoming. I rarely thought about how a reader would encounter my words until I began sharing them. The response was overwhelming; seeing a friend moved to tears because I had documented something they could never put into words made me realize the power of this work as an emotional anchor.
Thus, as a writer I felt incredibly honored to have struck a chord with those around me, but to all the people who would like to read Eidolon, I would want them to normalize one thing: feeling deeply. Being someone who feels everything deeply and intensely, my writings tend to circle around this. In a world that often shames intensity and pressures us to remain ‘casual’ or ‘unbothered,’ I want to flip that narrative, having struggled with such a profound acceptance of vulnerability.
I think I realized through my writing that owning your emotions and depth is not a relegation but a strength. It makes me stand apart in how I see and consume the world. Through my writing, I want people to acknowledge their own truths and own them unapologetically, regardless of outside judgment.

LiFT: What do you do apart from writing?

Kalika Padte: I am a naturally curious person and engage in a wide range of activities that keep my mind active. On the creative and physical side, I love painting, photography and playing badminton.
However, I also enjoy some more unconventional intellectual pursuits. I am fascinated by psychoanalysis and often spend time constructing character analyses of the anti-heroes I admire. I also have a deep obsession with music theories, mind-mapping historical timelines, and diving into random trivia. Whether I’m reading research papers or journaling, I find that these diverse interests layer my perspectives and give my writing a unique depth. I embrace being ‘slightly weird’ in a good way; it’s that curiosity that drives my creativity.

LiFT: What activities do you resort to when you face writer’s block?

Kalika Padte: I have learned to embrace the phases where I am not writing. I used to challenge myself to write every single day, but I found that the pressure often compromised the quality of my work. Now, I prefer to spend those quiet times simply observing, or even doing nothing at all.
As Sylvia Plath beautifully put it: “I write because there is a voice within me that will not be still.” I trust that voice. I know that the introspection and the chaos of the mind will eventually rise again, and when they do, the result will be a masterpiece. During these breaks, I engage in my other hobbies or spend time in solitude. These moments allow me to recalibrate my thoughts and refine how I eventually articulate them on the page.

LiFT: Are you working on your next book? If so, could you tell us something about it?

Kalika Padte: I am working on my next book and this time the focus is solely on literary essays and prose. My writings transitioned from poetry to exploring prose, a year ago and Eidolon consists of few of such pieces. These are independent, monologic literary essays which won’t have a definitive theme binding it. I have a paradoxical, cynical style of writing which was apparent in few of my works. I tend to break down one arbitrary thought and then build on it. These essays also follow a stream of consciousness format of expression, almost like epiphanic oeuvres. Thus, I will be compiling these for my next literary project.

LiFT: What are your suggestions for budding writers and poets to help them improve their writing skills?

Kalika Padte: I think belief in one’s writing is really important. However, when I say strong conviction or unshakeable faith, I do not mean being immune to any kind of feedback, I mean being confident enough to know that one can work through it and evolve. I was criticized for having a deliberately flamboyant style of writing and was advised to tone it down. Although, I do not meticulously curate each and every thought that I spill onto the page. I definitely do not decide to have a linguistically strenuous vocabulary; it is something genuine and natural. Thus, I think this criticism motivated me to hold onto my style of writing and be more confident about it.
Moreover, one should not compare or try to copy someone else’s writing process or product. It feels like an insinuation of integrity. In my opinion, I am similar to others in a hundred ways, but my writing sets me apart. It is something that is immediate to my identity, thus I feel writing should be about being oneself authentically.
Last but not the least, understanding that writing is a trace and not a blind iteration. At the beginning of Eidolon, in the author’s note, I have mentioned how may be numerous excellent individuals before you, might have written what you just thought of, still; your voice matters. Because your voice is characteristic to you. So even though you do not feel it now, it does make a difference, a whole lot of difference.
Keep writing!

Click here to order Kalika Padte’s Book – Eidolon