Amplify Bookstore

“People come into our store…and cry,” says Marina Sano. “Amplify Bookstore means a lot to them, which is really nice, because it means a lot to us too.”

Just a short stroll across the road from Queen Victoria Market, Amplify Bookstore is an independent bookstore on a mission to spotlight the voices that are under-represented in traditional publishing - authors who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and/or People of Colour).

It’s also a community hub and a safe haven for aspiring BIPOC writers, all born from frustration, friendship, and a commitment to broader representation on the written page.

Co-founders Marina and Jing Xuan Teo (Xuan) met at university, working on the University of Melbourne’s Myriad magazine, a publication for people of colour by people of colour. Their friendship continued as they progressed through their Master of Publishing and Communications during Melbourne’s COVID lockdowns.

What began as socially distanced walks and conversations during the Black Lives Matter movement quickly evolved into a bigger mission. “We were looking for a more tangible way to make an impact than simply sharing reading lists on social media,” says Xuan.

That impact took shape in November 2020 when they launched Amplify Bookstore—an anti-racist social enterprise committed to showcasing books by people of colour.

It started online, out of necessity. “It didn't feel financially sound to take on rent during lockdown,” explains Xuan. “Plus, we didn’t want to overwhelm ourselves while we were still studying.”

For four years, books were stacked high in Marina’s house. As the online store grew, Marina and Xuan also spent weekends and evenings hauling trestle tables and crates to pop-up stalls outside KINES cafe in Brunswick.

In late 2024, the duo found a small space on Peel Street—initially just a warehouse solution for book storage.

“But then we thought we might as well try having a physical shop as well as the online store,” Xuan explains. “We’ve since signed a lease and transformed the upstairs into a reading room and event space.”

Amplify bestselling items include their curated Discovery Packs—a subscription featuring two new-release books every two months, spotlighting authors from different regions across the globe. “Theoretically, if you sign up in one year, you'll get 12 books from all around the world, from all different people,” says Marina. “All you have to do is pay—and read.”

They’re also known for stocking a wide selection of Octavia Butler’s work, and James Baldwin editions that customers may struggle to find elsewhere.

Still, for Marina and Xuan, the greatest reward isn’t in sales—it’s in connection. “Our friends use us as a library,” laughs Xuan. “And the community really keeps us going. We love hearing from our customers and visitors that Amplify Bookstore is helping them to feel seen.”

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio