What is the title of J.K. Rowling’s 2012 adult novel about a disputed seat on a parish council?

The title of J.K. Rowling’s 2012 adult novel about a disputed parish-council seat is The Casual Vacancy. It was Rowling’s first published novel aimed at adults after the Harry Potter series.

The story begins in the fictional English village of Pagford after the sudden death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother. His vacant position creates a local political contest and exposes tensions involving class, poverty, addiction, family conflict, and social responsibility.

In electoral language, a “casual vacancy” is an unexpected opening in an elected office, usually caused by death, resignation, or disqualification. The phrase therefore describes both the plot’s immediate political event and the novel’s broader interest in the divisions hidden inside a seemingly comfortable community.