American poet and novelist Jim Harrison has died from natural causes aged 78, his poetry publisher Copper Canyon Press said.

Harrison is best known for his 1979 novel, Legends of the Fall, which was made into an Oscar award-winning film starring Brad Pitt in 1994.

The story follows three brothers from Montana in the early 20th century, during World War I.

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He wrote more than 30 books, in the genres of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature, and his work has been published in 27 languages.

But, Harrison had said poetry meant the most to him.

“Poetry, at its best, is the language your soul would speak if you could teach your soul to speak,” he wrote in an essay.

Harrison, who lived in Montana and southern Arizona, also worked as a food columnist for magazines Smart and Esquire.

His final book of poetry, Dead Man’s Float, was published by Copper Canyon Press in January this year.

In its conclusion, he wrote about his life’s work: “So I sit on the edge, wagging my feet above the abyss.”

“Tonight the moon will be in my lap.”