Popular as a poet, novelist, and author of short tales, Amelia Alderson was the wife of artist John Opie, a significant figure in the circle of Norwich religious dissenters. Her better-known novels and tales include The Father and Daughter, A Tale, in Prose (1801), Adeline Mowbray; or, The Mother and Daughter (1805), Tales of Real Life (1813), and Tales of the Heart (1820). Her volume Poems appeared in 1802. Her contributions to the abolition debate include The Negro Boy's Tale (1824) and The Black Man's Lament; or, How to Make Sugar (1826).