The BBC says it is turning JK Rowling's first novel for adults into a television drama.

"The Casual Vacancy" is a darkly humorous saga of modern British life in which a local council election unleashes rivalries and resentments in a small town. The novel is Rowling's first full-length book since she finished the "Harry Potter" saga in 2007. It was published in September to mixed reviews but topped best-seller charts.

Rowling said the BBC was the "perfect home" for her story.