University of Montana celebrates 50 years of ‘A River Runs through It’

The University of Montana’s Creative Writing Program will host its fifth annual Hooks for Books fundraiser from September 27–29 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Norman Maclean’s novella, ‘A River Runs through It.’

Originally published in 1976, the book and its subsequent 1992 film adaptation are credited with significantly boosting the popularity of fly-fishing in the American West, particularly in Montana. The event will honor Maclean’s son, author and journalist John Maclean, with the Writers on Water Award.

The fundraiser includes fly-fishing excursions on rivers such as the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Clark Fork, alongside an auction and dinners to benefit the university's Creative Writing Department.