Screenwriter for upcoming “Casual Vacancy” BBC series will be veteran television writer Sarah Phelps

It’s been over a year since it was announced that The Casual Vacancy would be adapted into a television miniseries by BBC, and since that time, the only bit of information released on the adaptation was a tweet from J.K. Rowling’s agent Neil Blair stating that casting for the series would begin in spring of 2013. And then – a year of radio silence.

It seems certain that BBC is waiting to do a big publicity announcement about the series shortly before it is ready to air, keeping cast names, set locations, and filming stills under wraps, but we’ve managed to spot a tidbit of news about the series: The screenplay will be penned by veteran British television writer Sarah Phelps, who has worked on EastEnders, the recent BBC adaptation of Great Expectations, and other projects.

This bit of news was buried in an article published last week by BBC, which outlines its plan to adapt mystery writer Agatha Christie’s novels into a new series. The reference to The Casual Vacancy comes in the third paragraph:

“Acclaimed writer Sarah Phelps (Great Expectations, The Crimson Field, The Casual Vacancy) will adapt a new telling of this extraordinary and ingenious masterpiece, produced by Mammoth Screen.”

It may only be a tiny snippet of information, but as the source is BBC itself, it seems likely that it’s official – and for fans who have been waiting since December of 2012 for details, it’s much better than nothing!

Did you enjoy The Casual Vacancy enough to watch a television adaptation of it? Are you a fan of Sarah’s previous work? Let us know your thoughts!