Which J.K. Rowling book was published under the title The Casual Vacancy?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel written for adults.

Little, Brown published it in 2012. The novel is set in the fictional English village of Pagford, where a vacancy on the parish council triggers political conflict and exposes tensions among residents. Its subject matter includes class, poverty, addiction, family relationships, and local government.

The book is not part of the Harry Potter universe and does not use magic. That distinction matters because Rowling’s best-known earlier work was children’s fantasy. The Casual Vacancy instead presents contemporary social drama aimed at adult readers.

The novel was later adapted as a three-part television miniseries by the BBC in 2015. The adaptation brought Pagford’s conflicts to screen but remained separate from the Harry Potter film franchise.