Beloved drag superstar Kim Chi is expanding her creative empire from makeup palettes and runways to the literary world with the release of two new books, the culinary travel memoir Kim Chi Eats the World and her debut young adult novel Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers.
But while fans are thrilled to see the RuPaul’s Drag Race alum branching into new genres, it’s librarians across the country who have become some of her most passionate champions.
The illustrated novel, co-written with Stephan Lee (K-Pop Confidential) and illustrated by Utomaru, follows twelve-year-old Jae Han, a Korean immigrant who finds safety and community in his small-town library. When the local government threatens to demolish it to make way for a mall parking lot, Jae and his friends, along with his drag-inspired comic book hero Donutella Hamachi, band together to save their sanctuary.
For Kim Chi, the book was born from a real-life concern: the defunding of public libraries.
“The main storyline is about saving your public library,” Kim Chi said in a recent interview with Gayety. “It’s also about being queer, being a kid of an immigrant, and staying true to yourself. I wanted to tell a story that reflected what I needed when I was younger — a place where I could be myself and feel safe.”
The inspiration came after a heartfelt tweet in which the drag artist expressed frustration over library closures and funding cuts. The post quickly went viral, not among drag fans, but within the global library community.
“Librarians from all around the world started reaching out to me, saying thank you for speaking up,” Kim Chi recalled. “Libraries are such an important resource to any community. They’re where so many queer kids, immigrant kids, and outsiders first find belonging.”
That wave of librarian support helped spark the book deal itself. A publisher soon approached Kim Chi about writing a story that celebrated libraries and the diverse communities they serve.
Since its release in September, Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers has been warmly embraced by educators, library advocates, and readers young and old. Many librarians have praised the book’s themes of inclusivity, community action, and self-acceptance — particularly at a time when queer literature faces unprecedented censorship.
The outfits are even some that she herself would wear, she told Gayety.
“Kim Chi’s story captures what libraries stand for: access, imagination, and inclusion,” said Maya Thompson, a children’s librarian in Seattle. “It’s a love letter to every kid who’s ever found refuge between the bookshelves.”
In addition to her literary debut in young adult fiction, Kim Chi is serving up global flavors and campy culinary flair with Kim Chi Eats the World: 75 Recipes Fit for a (Drag) Queen. The globe-trotting cookbook, released October 21, 2025, combines the drag icon’s passion for food with her signature sense of humor and style. Part memoir and part travel diary, the #1 best-selling book in LGBTQ+ Travel takes readers on a glamorous journey through Kim Chi’s favorite dishes from around the world, from Canadian poutine and Mexican birria tortas to Brazilian brigadeiro cake and Korean bossam.
Each recipe is paired with vibrant photography, bold anecdotes, and the kind of witty commentary that’s made Kim Chi a fan favorite since her RuPaul’s Drag Race debut. But beneath the sparkle and spice, the book offers an unexpectedly heartfelt message about cultural connection and self-expression.
“Food is universal,” Kim Chi writes in the introduction. “No matter where I’ve gone, sharing a meal has always been a way to understand someone else’s story — and tell my own.”
With recipes designed for home cooks of all levels, Kim Chi Eats the World invites readers to “werk” their way through an international menu that’s equal parts delicious and unapologetically fabulous. Whether she’s teaching fans how to make Swiss roasted flour soup or spilling the tea on her culinary misadventures on tour, Kim Chi proves that drag and dining are both art forms best served with confidence, creativity, and a dash of drama.
Whether she’s serving looks, laughter, or library love, Kim Chi’s message remains the same: authenticity is power.
“I just want people — especially kids — to see themselves as heroes,” she said. “Even if the world tells you to quiet down, you can always find your voice in a library.”
Both Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers and Kim Chi Eats the World: 75 Recipes Fit for a (Drag) Queen are available now in hardcover and digital formats.
