Janklow & Nesbit UK
Headshot of author Alex Bellos
Photo credit: Jonny Davis

Alex Bellos

Alex Bellos has a degree in Mathematics and Philosophy; he has worked for the Guardian in London and Rio de Janeiro, where he was the paper's foreign correspondent. He writes a regular puzzle column in the Guardian, and presents documentaries on BBC Radio 4. He is the author of a number of books which have sold more than a million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages.

The first of these was the critically acclaimed book about Brazilian football — Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life (2002) — which was updated and republished in 2014. His second — Alex's Adventures in Numberland: Dispatches From The Wonderful World of Mathematics (2010) — was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction and was followed by Alex Through the Looking Glass: How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life (2014). He has also written a series of popular puzzle books — including Can You Solve My Problems?: Ingenious, Perplexing, and Totally Satisfying Math and Logic Puzzles (2016) and The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: Lexical Perplexities and Cracking Conundrums From Across the Globe (2021) — and the much-loved children's books series, Football School. 

His most recent book — Think Twice: Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong — was published by Square Peg in 2024.

Alex's Adventures in Numberland: Dispatches From The Wonderful World of Mathematics

Alex's Adventures in Numberland: Dispatches From The Wonderful World of Mathematics

Bloomsbury
Alex's Adventures in Numberland: Dispatches From The Wonderful World of Mathematics
Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life

Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life

Bloomsbury
Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life
Alex Through the Looking Glass: How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life

Alex Through the Looking Glass: How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life

Bloomsbury
Alex Through the Looking Glass: How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life
Football School: Where Football Explains the World

Football School: Where Football Explains the World

Walker Books
Football School: Where Football Explains the World
Can You Solve My Problems? A Casebook of Ingenious, Perplexing and Totally Satisfying Puzzles

Can You Solve My Problems? A Casebook of Ingenious, Perplexing and Totally Satisfying Puzzles

Can You Solve My Problems? A Casebook of Ingenious, Perplexing and Totally Satisfying Puzzles
Football School Season 2: Where Football Explains the World

Football School Season 2: Where Football Explains the World

Walker Books
Football School Season 2: Where Football Explains the World
Football School: The Amazing Quiz Book

Football School: The Amazing Quiz Book

Walker Books
Football School: The Amazing Quiz Book
Football School Season 3: Where Football Explains the World

Football School Season 3: Where Football Explains the World

Walker Books
Football School Season 3: Where Football Explains the World
Football School: Star Players

Football School: Star Players

Walker Books
Football School: Star Players
So You Think You've Got Problems? Surprising and Rewarding Puzzles to Sharpen Your Mind

So You Think You've Got Problems? Surprising and Rewarding Puzzles to Sharpen Your Mind

Faber & Faber
So You Think You've Got Problems? Surprising and Rewarding Puzzles to Sharpen Your Mind
Football School: The Incredible Joke Book

Football School: The Incredible Joke Book

Walker Books
Football School: The Incredible Joke Book
Football School Season 4: Where Football Explains the World

Football School Season 4: Where Football Explains the World

Walker Books
Football School Season 4: Where Football Explains the World
The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: Lexical Perplexities and Cracking Conundrums From Across the Globe

The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: Lexical Perplexities and Cracking Conundrums From Across the Globe

Guardian Faber Publishing
The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book: Lexical Perplexities and Cracking Conundrums From Across the Globe
The Football School Encyclopedia

The Football School Encyclopedia

Walker Books
The Football School Encyclopedia
Football School: The Ultimate Puzzle Book

Football School: The Ultimate Puzzle Book

Walker Books
Football School: The Ultimate Puzzle Book
Football School: Epic Heroes

Football School: Epic Heroes

Walker Books
Football School: Epic Heroes
Football School: Terrific Teams

Football School: Terrific Teams

Walker Books
Football School: Terrific Teams
Football School: The Greatest Ever Quiz Book

Football School: The Greatest Ever Quiz Book

Walker Books
Football School: The Greatest Ever Quiz Book
Think Twice: Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong

Think Twice: Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong

Square Peg
Think Twice: Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong