The Little, Brown Book Group, JK Rowling’s US publishers, announced the title of and release date for her new book yesterday. Here’s the official press release:

THE CASUAL VACANCY BY J.K. Rowling

Little, Brown Book Group announced yesterday that the new novel for adults by J.K. Rowling is entitled The Casual Vacancy.  The book will be published worldwide in the English language in hardback, unabridged audio download and on CD on Thursday 27^thSeptember 2012.

The Casual Vacancy

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town ofPagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.

Considering the world-wide and unprecedented success of Harry Potter, can Rowling pull it off again?  Huffington Post has this to say about the new book:

At the time, she stated, “The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me,” and it seems even more true with her subject matter. Her new book topic appears a far cry from the wizardry and sorcery of Harry Potter and Hogwarts.

Today is a busy day for Rowling. She also launched her new website, jkrowling.com.