What is the title of J.K. Rowling’s 2012 novel about a parish council vacancy?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s 2012 novel about a parish council vacancy.

The story begins when Barry Fairbrother, a parish councillor in the fictional town of Pagford, dies unexpectedly. His empty council seat becomes the “casual vacancy” of the title. The resulting contest reveals long-standing divisions between established residents and people connected with the Fields estate.

Rowling published the novel on 27 September 2012, fifteen years after the first Harry Potter book. It was her first novel written specifically for an adult readership and marked a deliberate shift from fantasy to contemporary social fiction. The narrative deals with politics, family conflict, poverty, addiction, and adolescence.

The title is a technical British local-government term rather than a magical phrase. It refers to an office becoming vacant between scheduled elections. The book was later adapted into a BBC television serial, which aired in 2015.