diff --git a/.github/release.yml b/.github/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c3a8a8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+changelog:
+  exclude:
+    authors: [dependabot, github-actions, pre-commit-ci]
+  categories:
+    - title: 🎉 New Features
+      labels: [feature]
+    - title: 🐛 Bug Fixes
+      labels: [fix]
+    - title: 🛠 Enhancements
+      labels: [enhancement, DX, UX]
+    - title: 📖 Documentation
+      labels: [docs]
+    - title: 🧹 House-Keeping
+      labels: [housekeeping]
+    - title: 🚀 Performance
+      labels: [performance]
+    - title: 💡 Refactoring
+      labels: [refactor]
+    - title: 🧪 Tests
+      labels: [tests]
+    - title: 💥 Breaking Changes
+      labels: [breaking]
+    - title: 🔒 Security Fixes
+      labels: [security]
+    - title: 🏥 Package Health
+      labels: [pkg]
+    - title: 🤷‍♂️ Other Changes
+      labels: ["*"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2cc88833..f0778ecf 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
 __copyright__ = (
     "Copyright Daniel W. Davies, Adam J. Jackson, Keith T. Butler (2019)"
 )
-__version__ = "2.5.3"
+__version__ = "2.5.4"
 __maintainer__ = "Anthony O. Onwuli"
 __maintaier_email__ = "anthony.onwuli16@imperial.ac.uk"
-__date__ = "August 23 2023"
+__date__ = "November 30 2023"
 
 import os
 import unittest