Bookworms of Baku: Schoolchildren mark annual Day of Reading in Azerbaijan

Schoolchildren attend the annual Day of Reading event outside the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Baku ahead of the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Participants from 40 schools in the Azerbaijani capital took part in the event, where children dress up as characters from their favourite novels.

The country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, was in Britain yesterday, where he was welcomed to Downing Street by Prime Minister Theresa May.

He was re-elected to serve another seven years as president of the oil-rich state this month in a contest largely boycotted by opposition parties.