Beyond the Page: Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton
This week we are excited to feature Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton, authors of Soccer School Season 3: Where Soccer Explains (Tackles) the World below (Candlewick Press, March 2019). Get to know them through fun questions below.
What kind of cheese would you be and why?
Limburger Cheese. At Soccer School we are all about the feet, and the bacteria that make socks smell are the same bacteria that make Limburger cheese the most pungent cheese on the planet.
What did you want to be growing up?
I wanted to be a soccer player but I got the next best thing – writing about soccer and using it to teach children about the world. Sometimes we give Soccer School lessons and are joined by professional players, which is inspiring for the pupils – and for us!
What is the weirdest random fact that you know?
The area you walk through to enter or leave a stadium is called a vomitory. Stadium designers call it this because the way vomit gushes out of your body is similar to the movement of fans at the end of a sports match. Gross – but true!
Tell us one fun insider-fact about Soccer School Season 3: Where Soccer Explains (Tackles) the World.
The national soccer teams of African countries are all known by animal nicknames. Some of the bigger teams call themselves the Lions, Elephants and Eagles, but there are also the Squirrels, the Coelacanths and the Dodos!
Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton
Alex Bellos writes about math, science, and soccer. He is the author of Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life in addition to being the ghostwriter of soccer superstar Pelé’s best-selling autobiography. Alex Bellos lives in London. Ben Lyttleton is a journalist, newscaster, and soccer consultant. He is the author of Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty Kick. He lives in London. You can visit Alex and Ben at http://soccerschoolbook.com/.
