This is an editorial for the special collection on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for MedEdPublish. In this article, the guest advisors of this collection first reflect on the paradoxes in EDI in health professions education (HPE), then on the importance of recognising the existence of multiple authenticities on the basis of different contexts and settings, and finally encourage authors and readers to reflect on their position on the continuum of EDI work. They conclude the editorial by outlining the direction they wish to set for articles in the collection.