about me
Born to political activists who fled the oppressive regime of Iran, Denise's early life was shaped by the resilience and courage of her parents. Raised in Germany, storytelling became a sanctuary for her — a way to process the world around her. From a very young age, she found solace in the written word, captivated by the power of stories to bridge divides and ignite the imagination.
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By the age of thirteen, she was published in a short-story anthology series, marking the first of many milestones on her creative journey.
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After spending one year in pre-med school, she made a bold decision to drop out, knowing her calling lay elsewhere. With nothing but determination and a dream to write for the screen, she moved to Los Angeles, where she immersed herself in the industry, working as an editor and rotoscope artist in post-production — believing firmly in the power of learning by doing.
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In 2014, her perseverance paid off when she won UCLA’s prestigious TV Writing Competition with a spec script, which led to her gaining representation and marked the beginning of her professional writing career.
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Since then, Denise has continued to write for both television and film, steadily climbing the career ladder from staff writer to Co-Executive Producer, all while gaining invaluable production experience and never losing sight of the passion that started it all.
writing career
DENISE HARKAVY is a writer and Co-Executive Producer with extensive experience across multiple high-profile projects and genres.
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She’s currently working on Amazon's medical drama STAT after serving as Supervising Producer on Kurt Sutter’s Netflix series THE ABANDONS and leading the writers' room for the fourth season of Netflix's hit series HOW TO SELL DRUGS ONLINE (FAST).
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Previous to that, she served as Producer on the CW’s BATWOMAN, Co-Producer on Netflix’s MANHUNT: DEADLY GAMES, Executive Story Editor on Amazon’s critically acclaimed sci-fi series THE EXPANSE, and Story Editor on NBC’s military action drama THE BRAVE. Additionally, she was a staff writer for Ava DuVernay’s QUEEN SUGAR - which earned multiple Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Drama Series - and the final season of FRANKLIN & BASH for TNT.
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On the development side, Denise been tapped to adapt former FBI spy Emad Salem's bestselling autobiography UNDERCOVER into a TV series for Gaumont and has written several original series, including the spy drama NUKE for 20th TV, the crime thriller CALL OF THE CROW for Kapital Entertainment, and the reboot of the cult classic film THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN for Sony Pictures. She has also adapted the YA novel THE HIDDEN MEMORY OF OBJECTS into a series and wrote a pilot based on the graphic novel EPOCH.
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In addition to her writing and producing work, she has worked as a writer and story consultant on high-profile video games such as MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR - a critically acclaimed title nominated for numerous awards - RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER and CALL OF DUTY: INFINITE WARFARE, both highly lauded within the gaming industry.
lecturer
In between projects, Denise serves as an international guest speaker and lecturer for the MA Serial Storytelling program at IFS Internationale Filmschule Köln -- Europe’s first and only international Master’s Programme focusing on collaborative writing for TV series. This prestigious program blends advanced story development skills with collaboration techniques, preparing students for both local and international series markets.
For Denise, this role is a deeply personal milestone: having grown up in Germany, she views it as a unique opportunity to bring the industry expertise she’s gained in Hollywood back home. By sharing her insights on storytelling, collaboration, and the creative processes that define successful TV series, she’s empowering Europe’s next generation of writers -- ensuring that she gives back to the creative community while fostering a global exchange of knowledge.
