My name is Jeremy Teddy Karn, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and a Ph.D. student at the University of Houston. I grew up in a country where war shaped my childhood and interrupted my schooling. An entire generation of Liberians came of age without access to books. That's why, in 2024, a group of friends and I founded the Pepper Coast Library Project: free reading rooms in and around Monrovia where children, writers, and students can have access to books.

We have purchased used books from public libraries and thrift stores, and we have been met with generosity along the way: donations from the Coralville Public Library in Iowa, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and individuals from the Workshop and across the U.S. who believed in what we were building. The International Book Project has contributed twenty boxes of books to our cause. And recently received hundreds of books from the poet Martha Serpas at the University of Houston.

Altogether, we have collected more than 10,000 books—children's books, novels, reference materials, poetry collections, and works of nonfiction. We are still collecting.

Our greatest challenge now is not gathering books. It is getting them home. In 2026, we begin the work of shipping the books to Liberia. Shipping thousands of books overseas is costly. Freight, customs, storage, and transportation require resources beyond what our group of students can cover on their own.

Why This Matters

Most of us never had the chance to grow up surrounded by books. Liberia's civil war closed schools, shortened school years, and stripped away the stability every child deserves. Many young Liberians today still carry the effects of that disruption.

Our first step is moving over 10,000 books from the United States to Monrovia. We have carefully budgeted $5,480 to cover this move in full.

Pepper Coast Library Project – Shipping Budget (Total: $5,480.00)

Shipping Over 10,000 books; includes freight charges, loading, and export documentation - $4,100.00

Packing & Preparation Materials: Boxes, pallets, shrink wrap, tape, labeling, and protective materials - $480.00

Port Fees & Customs Clearance (Liberia): Terminal handling charges, clearing agent fee, inspection, duties - N/A

Local Transport in Monrovia: Truck hire and labor to move books from Freeport to storage site - $350.00

U.S. Storage & Local Transport: Short-term storage and transport to freight company - $250.00

Contingency Fund: Buffer for fluctuating fees, fuel surcharges, or unexpected port charges - $300.00

TOTAL $5,480.00

See more of what we do at: Pepper Coast Mag