Hi, I’m Alex Bellos.
I write and I talk. Usually about mathematics, puzzles, football or Brazil. My books – which have sold more than a million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages – include Alex’s Adventures in Numberland, Can You Solve My Problems?, Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life and the children’s book series Football School. I also write a puzzle column in the Guardian, and present documentaries on BBC Radio 4. My YouTube videos have registered more than 40 million views, and I am the inventor of Loop, the elliptical pool game.
In 2026 I was awarded the Christopher Zeeman Medal, the UK’s most prestigious award for mathematics communication, organised by the London Mathematical Society and the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications.
I am also an experienced public speaker. I give keynotes at educational conferences, speak at corporate events and visit many schools and colleges in the UK and beyond. If you would like me to come to your institution, please get in touch.
In 2024 I was the Science Communicator in Residence at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, University of California, Berkeley.
PUZZLE book
The puzzles I find irresistible are the ones that present a surprise: puzzles that reveal something unexpected about the world, or about the way we think.
Think Twice gathers together my favourite ‘simple puzzles you always get wrong’ and explains why we are so easily led astray.
UK READERS: BUY HERE
US READERS: BUY HERE
KIDS BOOK
Football School is a book series aimed at children aged 7-13 that uses football to open up the curriculum, encourage curiosity and stimulate reading. The series runs to more than a dozen books, includingThe Football School Encyclopedia.
“If your children like football, there’s only one book they need.” - The Daily Telegraph
public speaker
I give talks to all ages, professions and mathematical levels, from primary school pupils to CEOs, tech specialists and financial investors.