Poet Sought to 'Celebrate' London Bridges

Big Ben is shown with lights switched on after Earth Hour in London, Britain, March 23, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Big Ben is shown with lights switched on after Earth Hour in London, Britain, March 23, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
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Poet Sought to 'Celebrate' London Bridges

Big Ben is shown with lights switched on after Earth Hour in London, Britain, March 23, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Big Ben is shown with lights switched on after Earth Hour in London, Britain, March 23, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

A poet is being sought to "celebrate" five of London's bridges as a charity hires a poet-in-residence for the first time in its 900-year history, the BCC reported.

The City Bridge Foundation said the job involves writing about the capital's major Thames crossings, their history and the role they play in the life of Londoners today.

The selected poet will be paid £10,000 for the year-long role, the BCC said.

The foundation said the job was "the only one of its kind anywhere.”

The City Bridge Foundation maintains five of the bridges leading into the City of London, which are Tower, London, Southwark, Millennium and Blackfriars bridges.

"For hundreds of years, our bridges have been central to the story of London during its happiest and its darkest moments, yet tributes to them in verse are surprisingly scarce," said foundation chairman Giles Shilson.

"Our new poet will celebrate the bridges' long history, their relationship with the city and the river and the vital role they play in the day-to-day life of modern Londoners."



Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
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Carnivorous 'Bone Collector' Caterpillar Dresses in Remains of its Prey

This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)
This photo provided by Daniel Rubinoff in April 2025 shows a new species of carnivorous caterpillar, left, which uses a protective case made with insect parts, near a spider in Oahu, Hawaii. (Courtesy Daniel Rubinoff via AP)

A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the “bone collector.”
The odd insect is only found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with their body parts, The Associated Press reported.
There are other meat-eating caterpillars that “do lots of crazy things, but this takes the cake,” said study author Dan Rubinoff with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Scientists think the case might act as camouflage, allowing the caterpillar to feast on the spider’s ensnared meals without getting caught.
A host of caterpillars native to Hawaii use silk glands to spin protective cases studded with lichen, sand and other materials. This one is the first to use ant heads and fly wings.
“It really is an astonishing type of case,” said Steven Montgomery, an entomology consultant in Hawaii who was not involved with the new study.
Findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists found just 62 of the carnivorous caterpillars in over 20 years of observing.
Predatory caterpillars are extremely rare and the bone collectors found in Hawaii will even eat each other, researchers said.
The bone collector's origins date back at least 6 million years, making the caterpillars more ancient than the Hawaiian islands themselves. Today, they dwell on an isolated patch of mountain forest alongside invasive species.
“There is really a concern that we need to do better with conservation,” said Rubinoff.