diff --git a/docs/release-notes/0.11.0rc1.md b/docs/release-notes/0.11.0rc1.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36eb354de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/release-notes/0.11.0rc1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+(v0.11.0rc1)=
+### 0.11.0rc1 {small}`2024-09-04`
+
+### Breaking changes
+
+- Removed deprecated modules `anndata.core` and `anndata.readwrite` {user}`ivirshup` ({pr}`1197`)
+- No longer export `sparse_dataset` from `anndata.experimental`, instead exporting {func}`anndata.sparse_dataset` {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1642`)
+- Move `RWAble` and `InMemoryElem` out of `experimental`, renaming `RWAble` to {type}`~anndata.typing.AxisStorable` and `InMemoryElem` to {type}`~anndata.typing.RWAble` {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1643`)
+
+### Development Process
+
+- create new `cupy` installation options for cuda 11 & 12 called `cu11` and `cu12` {user}`Intron7` ({pr}`1596`)
+
+### Documentation
+
+- Correct {attr}`anndata.AnnData.X` type to include {class}`~anndata.abc.CSRDataset` and {class}`~anndata.abc.CSCDataset` as possible types and being deprecation process for non-csr/csc {class}`scipy.sparse.spmatrix` types in {attr}`anndata.AnnData.X` {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1616`)
+
+### Features
+
+- `scipy.sparse.csr_array` and `scipy.sparse.csc_array` are now supported when constructing `AnnData` objects {user}`ilan-gold` {user}`isaac-virshup` ({pr}`1028`)
+- Allow `axis` parameter of e.g. :func:`anndata.concat` to accept `'obs'` and `'var'` {user}`flying-sheep` ({pr}`1244`)
+- Add `settings` object with methods for altering internally-used options, like checking for uniqueness on `obs`' index {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1270`)
+- Add {attr}`~anndata.settings.shall_remove_unused_categories` option to {attr}`anndata.settings` to override current behavior {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1340`)
+- Add :func:`~anndata.experimental.read_elem_as_dask` function to handle i/o with sparse and dense arrays {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1469`)
+- Add ability to convert strings to categoricals on write in {meth}`~anndata.AnnData.write_h5ad` and {meth}`~anndata.AnnData.write_zarr` via `convert_strings_to_categoricals` parameter {user}` falexwolf` ({pr}`1474`)
+- Add {attr}`~anndata.settings.shall_check_uniqueness` option to {attr}`anndata.settings` to override current behavior {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1507`)
+- Add functionality to write from GPU {class}`dask.array.Array` to disk {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1550`)
+- Read and write support for nullable string arrays ({class}`pandas.arrays.StringArray`).
+  Use pandas’ {doc}`pandas:user_guide/options` `mode.string_storage` to control which storage mode is used when reading `dtype="string"` columns.
+  {user}`flying-sheep` ({pr}`1558`)
+- Export {func}`~anndata.write_elem` and {func}`~anndata.read_elem` directly from the main package instead of `experimental` {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1598`)
+- Allow reading sparse data (via {func}`~anndata.read_elem` or {func}`~anndata.sparse_dataset`) into either {class}`scipy.sparse.csr_array` or {class}`scipy.sparse.csc_array` via {attr}`anndata.settings.shall_use_sparse_array_on_read` {user}`ilan-gold` ({pr}`1633`)
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1028.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1028.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 8b2f612f9..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1028.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-`scipy.sparse.csr_array` and `scipy.sparse.csc_array` are now supported when constructing `AnnData` objects {user}`ilan-gold` {user}`isaac-virshup`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1197.breaking.md b/docs/release-notes/1197.breaking.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 165e712cc..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1197.breaking.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Removed deprecated modules `anndata.core` and `anndata.readwrite` {user}`ivirshup`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1244.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1244.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 9a0fd6c30..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1244.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Allow `axis` parameter of e.g. :func:`anndata.concat` to accept `'obs'` and `'var'` {user}`flying-sheep`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1270.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1270.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 89f07264c..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1270.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add `settings` object with methods for altering internally-used options, like checking for uniqueness on `obs`' index {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1340.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1340.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 533a38f2c..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1340.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add {attr}`~anndata.settings.shall_remove_unused_categories` option to {attr}`anndata.settings` to override current behavior {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1469.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1469.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index abe84f7f6..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1469.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add :func:`~anndata.experimental.read_elem_as_dask` function to handle i/o with sparse and dense arrays {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1474.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1474.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c85d982f..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1474.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add ability to convert strings to categoricals on write in {meth}`~anndata.AnnData.write_h5ad` and {meth}`~anndata.AnnData.write_zarr` via `convert_strings_to_categoricals` parameter {user}` falexwolf`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1507.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1507.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 17ecdbd2e..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1507.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add {attr}`~anndata.settings.shall_check_uniqueness` option to {attr}`anndata.settings` to override current behavior {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1550.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1550.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index bd1bfd37d..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1550.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Add functionality to write from GPU {class}`dask.array.Array` to disk {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1558.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1558.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index e90783f0c..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1558.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-Read and write support for nullable string arrays ({class}`pandas.arrays.StringArray`).
-Use pandas’ {doc}`pandas:user_guide/options` `mode.string_storage` to control which storage mode is used when reading `dtype="string"` columns.
-{user}`flying-sheep`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1596.dev.md b/docs/release-notes/1596.dev.md
deleted file mode 100644
index e1b3492ed..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1596.dev.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-create new `cupy` installation options for cuda 11 & 12 called `cu11` and `cu12` {user}`Intron7`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1598.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1598.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 687f2c46f..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1598.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Export {func}`~anndata.write_elem` and {func}`~anndata.read_elem` directly from the main package instead of `experimental` {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1616.doc.md b/docs/release-notes/1616.doc.md
deleted file mode 100644
index ebd9da66a..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1616.doc.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Correct {attr}`anndata.AnnData.X` type to include {class}`~anndata.abc.CSRDataset` and {class}`~anndata.abc.CSCDataset` as possible types and being deprecation process for non-csr/csc {class}`scipy.sparse.spmatrix` types in {attr}`anndata.AnnData.X` {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1633.feature.md b/docs/release-notes/1633.feature.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 778c6feaf..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1633.feature.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Allow reading sparse data (via {func}`~anndata.read_elem` or {func}`~anndata.sparse_dataset`) into either {class}`scipy.sparse.csr_array` or {class}`scipy.sparse.csc_array` via {attr}`anndata.settings.shall_use_sparse_array_on_read` {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1642.breaking.md b/docs/release-notes/1642.breaking.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 10fbd283b..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1642.breaking.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-No longer export `sparse_dataset` from `anndata.experimental`, instead exporting {func}`anndata.sparse_dataset` {user}`ilan-gold`
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/1643.breaking.md b/docs/release-notes/1643.breaking.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 89f928a06..000000000
--- a/docs/release-notes/1643.breaking.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Move `RWAble` and `InMemoryElem` out of `experimental`, renaming `RWAble` to {type}`~anndata.typing.AxisStorable` and `InMemoryElem` to {type}`~anndata.typing.RWAble` {user}`ilan-gold`