Lasse Diding has not solely devoted his time to running hotels and giving out controversial cultural awards. After the establishment of the Lenin Award in 2009 and with a hotel full of books, it was a natural step to exhibit at the Göteborg Book Fair.
With its gigantic Lenin head, its Lenin masks and not least Lenin’s children’s corner, the cosy Gästis stand became one of the most popular recurring elements of the fair, even though one or two visitors have been critical. During the 2009 fair, Lasse also ran a startling campaign to support Peter Englund’s democratic right to give out his Pol Pot Prize. Every year, visitors to the fair have been able to compete for great prizes by answering shrewd questions about Hotell Gästis and later also Hotell Havanna, but the most appreciated thing over the years has of course been that all participants have been allowed to choose a free book from the stand’s overflowing shelves.