F. Starik was a Dutch poet and prose writer whose work often transcended traditional genre boundaries. His artistic expression was polyphonic, encompassing poetry, prose, photography, music, and performance. Starik frequently integrated his literary output with visual art and music, creating complex artistic experiences. His poetry explored profound human themes, and his later work focused on connecting art with community projects, such as initiatives for dignified farewells for the solitary deceased.
Every year, people living in our towns and cities - the homeless, suicides, old people living alone - are found dead. Their funerals are held without relatives or friends. In Amsterdam in 2002, F Starik established a network of poets who would write a personal poem for the deceased and read it at their funeral as an affirmation of their existence.