diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+## Changes in 0.38.3
+  - Accept a list for `category` (see #624)
+
 ## Changes in 0.38.2
   - Infer `cabal-version: 3.12` when `PackageInfo_*` is used (see #620)
 
diff --git a/hpack.cabal b/hpack.cabal
--- a/hpack.cabal
+++ b/hpack.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           hpack
-version:        0.38.2
+version:        0.38.3
 synopsis:       A modern format for Haskell packages
 description:    See README at <https://github.com/sol/hpack#readme>
 category:       Development
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@
 license-file:   LICENSE
 build-type:     Simple
 extra-source-files:
-    CHANGELOG.md
     resources/test/hpack.cabal
+extra-doc-files:
+    CHANGELOG.md
 
 source-repository head
   type: git
diff --git a/resources/test/hpack.cabal b/resources/test/hpack.cabal
--- a/resources/test/hpack.cabal
+++ b/resources/test/hpack.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           hpack
-version:        0.38.2
+version:        0.38.3
 synopsis:       A modern format for Haskell packages
 description:    See README at <https://github.com/sol/hpack#readme>
 category:       Development
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@
 license-file:   LICENSE
 build-type:     Simple
 extra-source-files:
-    CHANGELOG.md
     resources/test/hpack.cabal
+extra-doc-files:
+    CHANGELOG.md
 
 source-repository head
   type: git
diff --git a/src/Hpack/Config.hs b/src/Hpack/Config.hs
--- a/src/Hpack/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Hpack/Config.hs
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
   , packageDescription = Nothing
   , packageHomepage = Nothing
   , packageBugReports = Nothing
-  , packageCategory = Nothing
+  , packageCategory = []
   , packageStability = Nothing
   , packageAuthor = []
   , packageMaintainer = []
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@
 , packageConfigDescription :: Maybe String
 , packageConfigHomepage :: Maybe (Maybe String)
 , packageConfigBugReports :: Maybe (Maybe String)
-, packageConfigCategory :: Maybe String
+, packageConfigCategory :: Maybe (List String)
 , packageConfigStability :: Maybe String
 , packageConfigAuthor :: Maybe (List String)
 , packageConfigMaintainer :: Maybe (Maybe (List String))
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@
 , packageDescription :: Maybe String
 , packageHomepage :: Maybe String
 , packageBugReports :: Maybe String
-, packageCategory :: Maybe String
+, packageCategory :: [String]
 , packageStability :: Maybe String
 , packageAuthor :: [String]
 , packageMaintainer :: [String]
@@ -1326,7 +1326,7 @@
       , packageDescription = packageConfigDescription
       , packageHomepage = homepage
       , packageBugReports = bugReports
-      , packageCategory = packageConfigCategory
+      , packageCategory = fromMaybeList packageConfigCategory
       , packageStability = packageConfigStability
       , packageAuthor = fromMaybeList packageConfigAuthor
       , packageMaintainer = fromMaybeList maintainer
diff --git a/src/Hpack/Render.hs b/src/Hpack/Render.hs
--- a/src/Hpack/Render.hs
+++ b/src/Hpack/Render.hs
@@ -118,24 +118,30 @@
       , ("version", Just packageVersion)
       , ("synopsis", packageSynopsis)
       , ("description", (formatDescription packageCabalVersion headerFieldsAlignment <$> packageDescription))
-      , ("category", packageCategory)
+      , formatList "category" packageCategory
       , ("stability", packageStability)
       , ("homepage", packageHomepage)
       , ("bug-reports", packageBugReports)
-      , ("author", formatList packageAuthor)
-      , ("maintainer", formatList packageMaintainer)
-      , ("copyright", formatList packageCopyright)
+      , formatList "author" packageAuthor
+      , formatList "maintainer" packageMaintainer
+      , formatList "copyright" packageCopyright
       , ("license", packageLicense)
       , case packageLicenseFile of
           [file] -> ("license-file", Just file)
-          files  -> ("license-files", formatList files)
+          files  -> formatList "license-files" files
       , ("build-type", Just (show packageBuildType))
       ]
 
-    formatList :: [String] -> Maybe String
-    formatList xs = guard (not $ null xs) >> (Just $ intercalate separator xs)
+    formatList :: String -> [String] -> (String, Maybe String)
+    formatList field = (,) field . formatValues
       where
-        separator = let Alignment n = headerFieldsAlignment in ",\n" ++ replicate n ' '
+        formatValues :: [String] -> Maybe String
+        formatValues values = guard (not $ null values) >> (Just $ intercalate separator values)
+          where
+            separator :: String
+            separator = ",\n" ++ replicate n ' '
+              where
+                Alignment n = max headerFieldsAlignment (Alignment $ length field + 2)
 
 sortStanzaFields :: [(String, [String])] -> [Element] -> [Element]
 sortStanzaFields sectionsFieldOrder = go
diff --git a/src/Hpack/Render/Dsl.hs b/src/Hpack/Render/Dsl.hs
--- a/src/Hpack/Render/Dsl.hs
+++ b/src/Hpack/Render/Dsl.hs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
   deriving (Eq, Show, Num, Enum)
 
 newtype Alignment = Alignment Int
-  deriving (Eq, Show, Num)
+  deriving (Eq, Ord, Show, Num)
 
 data RenderSettings = RenderSettings {
   renderSettingsIndentation :: Int
diff --git a/test/EndToEndSpec.hs b/test/EndToEndSpec.hs
--- a/test/EndToEndSpec.hs
+++ b/test/EndToEndSpec.hs
@@ -103,6 +103,24 @@
                        baz
           |]) { packageCabalVersion = "3.0" }
 
+    describe "category" $ do
+      it "accepts a single category" $ do
+        [i|
+        category: Testing
+        |] `shouldRenderTo` package [i|
+        category: Testing
+        |]
+
+      it "accepts a list of categories" $ do
+        [i|
+        category:
+          - Development
+          - Testing
+        |] `shouldRenderTo` package [i|
+        category: Development,
+                  Testing
+        |]
+
     describe "handling of Paths_ module" $ do
       it "adds Paths_ to other-modules" $ do
         [i|
diff --git a/test/Hpack/ConfigSpec.hs b/test/Hpack/ConfigSpec.hs
--- a/test/Hpack/ConfigSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Hpack/ConfigSpec.hs
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@
       withPackageConfig_ [i|
         category: Data
         |]
-        (`shouldBe` package {packageCategory = Just "Data"})
+        (`shouldBe` package {packageCategory = ["Data"]})
 
     it "accepts author" $ do
       withPackageConfig_ [i|