I recently had the immense pleasure of attending Stockport Noir, a fantastic crime fiction event held at the Masonic Guildhall. There was something undeniably delicious about sitting in a room decorated with ornate Masonic symbols while discussing the finer points of fictional murder and the darker side of human nature!
Hiding in Plain Sight
Freemasonry has long been a staple of the mystery genre. From the hidden architectural clues in The Da Vinci Code to the Victorian conspiracies that plagued Sherlock Holmes’ London, the idea of a secret society with its own private language of symbols is a classic trope.
The Guildhall itself is a stunning, slightly imposing building. It’s filled with dark, polished wood, vibrant stained glass, and emblems—the square and compasses, the all-seeing eye—that feel as though they’re guarding centuries of quiet history. It serves as a reminder that the best mysteries aren’t always tucked away in remote, mist-shrouded villages; sometimes, they are built right into the fabric of our bustling towns, hiding behind grand, heavy doors that we pass every single day on our way to the shops.
The Atmosphere of the Noir
There was something incredibly fitting about talking about Noir fiction in such a formal, ritualistic space. The shadows cast by the high ceilings and the palpable sense of tradition provided a perfect backdrop for the gritty, modern stories being shared by the authors.
For me, the Guildhall perfectly illustrates a core theme of my writing: that official history and private secrets often live in the same room. A building can be a place of charity and community, yet still feel like a labyrinth of enigmas to an outsider. It’s that tension—that not quite knowing—that keeps us turning the pages of a good mystery.