Josie Balka is a broadcaster, voiceover artist, and poet. She holds a diploma in radio television and film from Niagara College and has worked for some of the largest media companies in North America as an on-air personality. She can often be caught recording viral poetry in her sound-proof closet. She is born and raised in Toronto and lives in Calgary, Canada.
Website: josiebalka.com
Instagram/Threads: @josiebalka
Podcast: The Breakdown with Josie Balka
TikTok: josiebalka
This book is a gift to the world, and I’m honored to share in its magic.” -John Stamos, actor and NYT bestselling author of If You Would Have Told Me
For fans of Rupi Kaur and Cleo Wade, this first collection of poetry from the viral TikTok poet Josie Balka, evokes themes of nostalgia, love, envy, and hope, speaking to the universal longings that live deep in our souls.
I’ve never seen anyone at a public pool with a memorable enough body, good or bad, that I think about it ever again.
If this line sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve heard it in the background of thousands of videos on social media—a humbling reminder from poet and radio personality Josie Balka that what’s important in our lives now isn’t necessarily what’s important to us in the long run.
I Hope You Remember, Balka’s first book of poetry, includes this poem and over eighty others, some previously published and others never shared before. Every page in this collection hits home, rhapsodizing on universal experiences like jealousy, family relationships, complex body image, falling in and out of love (with others and yourself), and the everchanging lens of nostalgia. With sparse, clear prose, Josie’s poetry looks to bring forth deep feelings like grief, envy, apathy, joy, and, most importantly, hope.
Evocative and full of force, these poems will hit you in the gut, pull your heartstrings, and make you long for moments past.
From her soundproof closet to the Wordfest stage comes Calgary’s own Josie Balka and her debut book of heartwarming poetry, I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing and Living. Radio host by day, content creator and writer by night, Balka’s poems are at turns relatable, humorous, and poignant. Josie shares herself genuinely and generously with her hundreds of thousands of followers, and she’s ready to charm her hometown in this authentic and uplifting conversation hosted by Nicola MacNaughton.
We’d like to thank Simon & Schuster for making it possible to connect you with Josie Balka.
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
