What is the title of J.K. Rowling’s 2012 adult novel about a small English town’s bitter local politics?
Answer
The Casual Vacancy
J.K. Rowling’s 2012 adult novel about a small English town’s bitter local politics is The Casual Vacancy.
Published by Little, Brown and Company in September 2012, the novel is set in the fictional English town of Pagford. Its plot begins after the unexpected death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother, leaving a vacant seat and intensifying conflicts over class, poverty, education, and local authority policy.
The book was Rowling’s first published novel for adults after the Harry Potter series. Unlike the fantasy world of Hogwarts, it is a realist work focused on a large ensemble of residents and the consequences of their choices.
The title refers to the open seat on the parish council, not to an employment vacancy. The novel was later adapted into a three-part BBC television drama broadcast in 2015.