What is the name of J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults, published in 2012?

J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults, published in 2012, is The Casual Vacancy. It is a standalone contemporary novel about the residents of the fictional English town of Pagford and the conflicts that emerge after the death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother.

Little, Brown published the novel in September 2012. Unlike the Harry Potter books, it contains no magic and is aimed at an adult readership. Its plot examines local politics, social class, poverty, addiction, family tensions, and the divisions between people who live in the same community.

The title refers to an electoral term: a casual vacancy is an empty seat on a council or other elected body that arises between regular elections. That political vacancy drives the novel’s central conflict. The book was Rowling’s first published work after the Harry Potter series and demonstrated a deliberate move into a different genre, audience, setting, and subject matter.