Calgary radio show host debuts new book after poems go viral on social media

Calgary radio show host Josie Balka’s poems that have gone viral on social media form her first book, I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing and Living.

Literally overnight, Josie Balka knew her poetry was starting to resonate with people.

Balka – who co-hosts the morning show on Calgary’s Country 105 – began reading her poems in a recording booth in her home and posting them on Instagram and TikTok.

“I think it was the fifth or sixth one I ever posted in 2023, right before New Year’s in 2024, and I had just a bunch of attention on it and gained 100,000 followers overnight,” Balka told CTV News.

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Her content has been shared on social media by Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and other celebrities.

“I always find it really crazy when people I’ve admired for my entire life just for what they’ve done and who they are are noticing little things that I’m doing from my basement in Calgary,” Balka said.

Balka’s work is showcased in I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing and Living, published last week by Simon and Schuster.

While Balka’s poems are deeply personal and, at times, heartbreaking, she says she feels comfortable sharing her feelings with her audience.

• Watch the full interview with Balka in the video player above

“The internet can be scary and mean, but the little poetry corner that we’ve kind of created feels really kind and nice,” she said.