What was the title of J.K. Rowling’s adult novel published in 2012?

The Casual Vacancy was J.K. Rowling’s adult novel published in 2012.

Little, Brown published the novel on 27 September 2012. It is set in the fictional English town of Pagford, where the sudden death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother creates a vacant seat on the local council. The resulting political contest exposes conflicts involving class, poverty, addiction, family, and community responsibility.

The book was Rowling’s first published novel after the completion of the Harry Potter series. Unlike the fantasy novels, it is a contemporary social novel with no magical setting. Its intended adult readership and darker subject matter marked a clear change in genre and tone.

The title refers both to the council vacancy and to the broader gaps in the community’s social structure. The novel was adapted as a three-part BBC television drama in 2015, with a cast including Michael Gambon, Rory Kinnear, and Keeley Hawes.