J.K. Rowling’s novel The Casual Vacancy is set in the fictional English town of Pagford.
The Casual Vacancy was Rowling’s first published novel for adults. Released in 2012, it follows political and social tensions in Pagford after the death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother. The story examines class, local government, family conflict, poverty, and the effects of a disputed council boundary.
Pagford is fictional, so it is not a real English town that can be located on a map. Its setting is an English community with a village-like public life, and the surrounding area includes the fictional neighboring district of Yarvil. This differs from Rowling’s wizarding locations, which belong to the Harry Potter universe.
The novel was adapted into a three-part BBC television drama in 2015. The adaptation retained Pagford as the central setting and introduced the story to viewers who had not read Rowling’s adult novel.