J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, was published in 2012.
The novel was released on 27 September 2012, following the completion of the Harry Potter series. It is set in the fictional English village of Pagford, where the sudden death of a parish councillor creates an empty seat on the local council. The resulting political struggle exposes tensions involving class, poverty, addiction, and family life.
The Casual Vacancy marked a deliberate change in audience and subject matter. Unlike the Harry Potter books, it is a contemporary social novel with adult themes and no magical setting. Its publication attracted worldwide attention because it was Rowling’s first standalone novel after Harry’s story ended.
The book was published in hardback by Little, Brown and Company in the United Kingdom. It was later adapted into a three-part BBC television drama, which aired in 2015. The novel’s 2012 publication date is distinct from the later television adaptation.