J.K. Rowling's Latest to Be Adapted by BBC

J.K. Rowlings first adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, will be adapted to a television series on BBC One, according to a BBC announcement made this morning.

No stranger to having her work brought to the screen, Rowling is expected to collaborate closely with the U.K. public broadcaster. Though she is best known for the gargantuan success of the Harry Potter franchise, Rowling is quick to snuff any inkling that a move to television is a downgrade.

"I always felt that, if it were to be adapted, this novel was best suited to television, and I think the BBC is the perfect home," she said of the BBC's announcement.

The Casaul Vacancy is set in a tiny English village that is thrown for a loop with the unexpected death of Barry Fairbrother. It acts as an astute social commentary on the rich-poor dichotomy, generational gaps, and one's interpersonal relationships. There's also a gay subplot featuring a daughter who comes out to her mother. Upon its September release, The Casual Vacancy received overall lukewarm reviews, but set sales records for the hardback novel in 2012.

There's no word yet on airing the BBC's adaptation to the States, but it is expected to be wrapped for 2014.