Melbourne bookstore goes viral after owner records man’s wild rant
A young woman is going viral for sharing the moment a man took issue with her bookstore and decided to confront her over one specific policy.
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A Melbourne bookstore is going viral after a man came in and argued with one of the owners because the store only sells books by BIPOC (black, Indigenous and coloured) authors.
The bookstore, Amplify, is located in west Melbourne. It was started by Teo Jing Xuan, 25, and her business partner, Marina, in 2020 and has garnered a dedicated following.
Ms Xuan has now shared how she fought to keep a “neutral expression” when a man came in and berated her for 15 minutes because of the store’s policy to only stock books by BIPOC authors.
The man called it a “surprise” and argued that he’d never been into a bookstore that only stocked books written by “white” authors.
He said he could “understand” the bookstore’s “concern” and “purpose”, but believed there was an issue with the bookstore’s “approach” to not stocking white authors, even branding it segregation.
On the business’ official website, the two friends explain that the store was created because as “women of colour we recognised how difficult it was to find books written by people like us or with characters that looked like us”.
The women call the bookstore a “space dedicated to making it easier for you to find BIPOC authors” and hope that customers can come into their store and see themselves on the pages of he books.
Ms Xuan told news.com.au that sometimes people get “upset” over the ethics of the store and think creating a space for BIPOC authors is unfair.
“It’s almost always tied to a belief that it’s unfair we’re not giving white authors a space too, or that ‘white is a colour too’. I wouldn’t say he was triggered, he disagreed with our ethos and decided to voice it,” she said.
Ms Xuan said that, even though she remained calm during the encounter, it was “upsetting” and lasted 15 minutes.
“It was upsetting and disarming, as it is when you’re faced with someone who is actively being racist towards you,” she said.
When Ms Xuan shared the clip online, it amassed over 100,000 views, and people commended her.
“You’re providing a safe space,” one person praised.
“You have so much patience,” another wrote, while someone else said they doubt they could have remained “professional” in that situation.
One called the man’s comments “unnecessary” and someone else added they were “so sorry” for her experience.
The 25-year-old said that some people can fail to understand how important it is to create spaces like Amplify that highlight non-majority voices.
“Publishing is a very secretive industry, so not many know that only about 10 per cent of books published are by BIPOC authors, which means unless you’re actively searching for BIPOC titles, you’re not likely to chance upon them,” she said.
“Amplify provides a space for BIPOC authors to shine, where they don’t have to fight to be seen.
“We highlight the wide range of stories available and act as a resource for readers who want to read more diversely but don’t know where to start or are seeking recommendations.”
She added that she’s “incredibly proud” of the community that her and her business partner have built around the store.
“We started Amplify to be a resource for readers to go to when they’re seeking out books by BIPOC authors”.
“It’s been really heartening to see the community grow and rally around us. It’s been a nice reminder that our work is not only important, but resonates with a lot of people.”
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